Future Girl
by Agent-G
Summary: The lives of the XMen have never been normal they have been through a lot over the years. But how do they deal when a girl appears to be from the future and she's the daughter of two of the XMen? It's back! Part 8 of the AGU series!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution or any Marvel character. I only own my own OCs are mine.**

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**Sorry for the long wait I needed a break from this universe and a chance to get into a few new fics. So here we are the new AGU story in the series, and just to let you all know I've been trying to find the time to go back and redo some of my earlier works, mainly grammar and some spelling for the most part.**

**And for anyone new, I know about the spelling and grammar it's hard for me but I do try and I have improved a lot too.**

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**Future Girl**

**Chapter 1: Past, Present and Future**

Jean Grey had just woken up and was feeling refreshed. It had been a nice weekend with Scott and the others. She had gone out on a nice date and had an outing with the girls, so when Monday rolled around she was feeling relaxed and happy. On a plus side her first class that morning wasn't until ten so she had time. She got out of her bed and went to get her clothing and to hope into the shower before breakfast. While in the hot shower she had to reflect on how things were going these days.

The mansion was full of people now, she remembered how it had just been her and Scott for so long and then they got Kurt, then Kitty and it just expanded. Now they had three full teams of mutants and the mansion had to be expanded to help with the growing population. On the plus side with three full teams that meant that missions with the X-Men could be passed on to either the New Mutants or X-Force since they needed to get the experience. This made her life at NYU a bit easier since she didn't have to go on long missions and miss classes she needed.

Even Scott didn't mind since Rogue had been made the third in command of the X-Men. So if she and Scott weren't there Rogue would be in charge. Jean smiled remembering how Rogue was shocked by the announcement and still had doubts about her leadership skills. But both she and Scott agreed that Rogue was the best choice.

Jean got out of the shower and dried off, she changed and started to brush her hair while blow drying it. 'I wish it didn't take so long to do my hair, maybe I should cut it shorter? Would Scott like that or does he like me with long hair?' She thought to herself looking at the mirror as she used her powers to move the dryer and brush.

'Well...I'll keep it until Shaw's party at least,' She grinned at the thought. She had bought a new dress for it since she had been invited to Shinobi Shaw's party that his father was holding. There would be lots of powerful people there and she was glad that Scott agreed to go with her. She honestly didn't know why Scott disliked Shinobi Shaw so much, he was charming and of course handsome so maybe it was just a bit of jealously?

Well she couldn't say she was innocent of that herself but she had good reason to with that tramp Emma Frost always clinging to Scott. Just thinking about her always got Jean mad at how Emma hung over Scott and flirted with him and...

"Ow! God damn it!" Jean felt a strong pull on her hair as her comb had nearly ripped out a few strands. She gently took the brush out of her hair with her hands, "serves me right for getting angry when I was doing that with my powers."

She decided to brush her hair by hand at that point then risk another chance for her powers to react to her emotions. She finished up and left her room to get to the new kitchen they had, she had tried to make sure that she didn't arrive too soon or else the place would be crawling with mutants. She descended the stairs looking around her home. She noticed Amanda Sefton was walking with her roommate Clarice 'Blink' Ferguson.

She smiled and said hello to the two younger girls, it was nice seeing some new faces around here. After an accident Amanda's dormant x-gene activated, thankfully her parents eventually agreed that the mansion was the safest place for her, and she knew that Amanda didn't mind sharing a mansion with her boyfriend Kurt. Clarice wasn't as fortunate, her parents had been supporters of the FOH so when their daughter turned lavender with pink hair and clear white eyes...it wasn't pretty. They had saved her from a facility that Trask was using to test out his new sentinels on live mutants.

They had taken the poor girl in and Ororo had taken her as a daughter. To Jean it was kind of strange to just take someone in like that but she knew that Storm had her reasons. Plus when Blink had first arrived she had been so withdrawn, she was like an abused puppy in a way. Thankfully she had grown in her time here, although she still hid her appearance from the world with a watch like Kurt.

There were many new faces that she was getting used to seeing, Kai and actual ninja of all things they had met awhile ago managed to make it to Bayville when his village was attacked by some group called The Hand. Then there was one other thing that left some of them feeling a little uncomfortable and that was their latest student, Betsy Braddock.

It wasn't anything she did as who she looked like, she looked like a slightly older version of the form that Mystique had used under the name of Risty Wilde the ones that hadn't known of Risty thankfully welcomed Betsy but the worst problem was Rogue. She avoided Risty at every turn and Jean couldn't really blame her, after all just seeing her must bring back all kinds of memories of betrayal. In fact Rogue had been used and betrayed so many times it was no wonder she kept people at a distance.

Thankfully lately she had started to come out of that and she knew it was a combination of being able to touch again and of a certain dark haired boy. Vincent a boy that could have been with them from the start like her and Scott but had originally turned them down. Although after he had been exposed as a mutant life wasn't getting easy for him and so he felt he had to leave just so he could find a place where he could feel like being himself. Unfortunately Jean remembered the horrors that boy had gone through as a child.

She still got chills thinking of that Project Prodigy a group that took young kids to experiment on that had an x-gene. Sometimes Jean wondered how many more programs like that, like Weapon-X, like Hydra's program that made Sarah 'X-23' Logan. It actually made her feel ill at times wondering how people could do such horrible things.

When she entered the kitchen she had to smile at the scene, Jamie was there sitting with Paige Guthrie the youngest sibling in Sam's family as the two had formed a relationship. It was very adorable to see them together. And she noticed that while they were talking Jamie's clones were making them both breakfast.

There was Rahne talking with Jubilee, Gale the blue haired Canadian girl with empathic and healing powers, Amara who was laughing about something and Bobby. She noticed Ray and Roberto were having an argument over who got the last of the orange juice, Tabitha was talking to Kurt who was using his tail to put on jam on his toast while using his hands to put peanut butter and then honey on two other slices.

It was pure pandemonium but for Jean it was home. Sure it could be a handful at times but they were all a family as well. Sure it was a very large, very weird family but a family none the less. They all shared a bond with who and what they were, on the outside being accepted as a mutant wasn't easy, although they were making progress. Paul and Taryn were talking to them again, they had made some new friends one of which Rahne was currently dating a human boy of all things not to mention Alex.

Although his relationship...was odd to say the least.

But no matter who they were, or where they came from they were all accepted here. Former enemies like Wanda had a home here now, those that had attacked them like X-23 found a family, those with who had no home to go back to being abandoned had found a place that accepted them. To Jean this was what gave her hope for the future that everything could work out.

**-The far Future-**

In the waste of a city several young mutants were running. The buildings were in ruins, the site of many battles had done this to most of the cities on Earth these days. Some of the buildings looked like they were frozen in mid fall, others looked like they could fall any second. The streets were broken and wild animals ran loose as the planet tried to reclaim the ground of the city. Plants grew all over the place and in some places the smell of ash and from fires long dead could still be smelt. It was a cold night and darker than it used to be. There were no more lights in the city, the power had died off years ago and so when night fell the sky was so clear that people could see stars in the major city for the first time in generations.

But the young group wasn't interested in that, they were running for their lives, their lungs burned and their bodies ached but they pushed past it, because in this world if you weren't strong enough to survive then you died, or worse.

The four man team was a group of young mutants on a raiding party, they were looking for scraps of material that could be used, even old medical supplies that were still usable. One of them was a slim blond haired man of good, another was a young woman with a missing arm, she had strange pinkish hair that looked to had a life of their own, the other was a tall man with black eyes and purple skin.

They were being led by a young woman of sixteen, she was in an all red slim body suit with pointed studs running along her sides. She had short red hair and green eyes that looks for anything out of the ordinary, but what most saw were her marks. She had lines on her face put on there against her will years ago when she had been captured. She always saw them as an ugly reminder of her past but now she was trying to find a way back home.

"Phoenix hold up," The blond man said as they came to a halt. "Ox needs a rest."

"I'm okay," the large man said although breathing almost heavy enough to be heard for a mile.

"Damn it Ox you know you should tell us when you're tired." The other young woman said to him looking after him.

"Oh come on Linda I can still go." Ox told her.

The young woman known as Phoenix looked at them and sighed, "Five minute rest but then I want them to be ready Franklin." She told him as she took up a guard position. "Remember this is Sentinel country."

"Name me one place on this cursed planet that isn't." Linda muttered as she went to look after Ox.

Franklin Richards looked at them and he knew that they were a couple, hell it was because of Ox that Linda was pulled out of a battle alive although that had been the battle that lost her that arm. He walked over to the red head. "Be easy on them Rachel you know they just joined up two years ago." He said gently.

She sighed, "I know but we're losing this war...Master Mold will soon rule everything and there's nothing we can do to stop it.

"You got to keep hope alive Rachel," he told her gently putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and he gave her a warm smile making her feel a bit better. She also blushed a bit as she looked away, even though he was a few years older than her she did feel something for him. He was her best friend and they had been through a lot of things together, it was impossible to have a bond going through what they had. Both of them had lost their parents at an early age and had their lives destroyed.

Although at least he hadn't been taken like she had, spending all those years caged up and then her 'training' as a Hound. The marks on her face were an ever constant reminder of her past that she could never escape from. She took a breath and decided that they would take it a little easy for now, looking over the ruined landscape just filled her with depression at what the world had turned into.

A few kilometres away in an underground bunker was one of the last groups of the Resistance, the place had been an old fallout shelter that over the years had been upgraded and turned into a underground command center/fortress. It was hidden from the Sentinels but with the way they were searching it would only be a matter of time until they stumbled unto it. The halls were missing pieces of metal that had been scavenged for parts, some of the lights either no longer worked or were missing but there was enough light to see where you were going at least.

Power was thankfully something they didn't need to worry about, and they had a hydroponics garden in one of the lower levels for fresh air, and food. They had a water purification and recycling that would most likely out last them. The place got a little cold in winter but nothing too bad, all in all it was a better place to live then out in the streets.

One man was walking through the halls in jeans and a tattered and worn brown coat, his wild hair was parted into two points giving him a feral look, although his hair had a few grey streaks now. The man was a legend among the people as he walked through the halls, one of the command staff he was only known as either Logan or Wolverine.

Logan looked at the few faces here and there, he saw the faces of kids with battle scars and older ones with sometimes robotic limbs. He saw the faces of humans and mutants working together, something he had once thought a pipedream in the past. 'Well Chuck you got your wish too bad about how it had to happen.'

He remembered the bald man that had helped him all those years ago he remembered the original X-Men and the other kids at the old mansion which was now nothing more than a memory. Most of those kids were dead now, a few still survived at least. He walked up to one of the doors and knocked, there was a muffled sound telling him to come in and he did just that. He stepped inside looking at the room, it was covered in papers, readouts, and other things, it looked more like an office than a living area.

He only saw a few photos that the man kept around, but beyond that there were no personal items. The man was all business these days, he was cold most of the time but Logan knew that he did just because it was his way of keeping his mind together. He knew that the man hurt every day but kept on going because this war was all he had left that kept him going. He looked at the man sitting at his desk looking over reports, he was tall, well built and had midnight black hair. The front was cut short but the back was longer, he had on a small beard which made him looked older, there was a touch of grey here and there but Logan knew that was from stress of this life.

This life tended to age you pretty fast he had seen a lot of that happening to the older ones. There was one thing that reminded him of his old long dead friend General Fury, and that was the black patch over part of the man's face. It covered the right eye as well as a bit of the cheek from a fight long ago.

"Kid the others are getting ready for the meeting," Logan said.

"Alright just let me put this together," he said gathering up a few intelligence details and notes.

Logan nodded and looked at the few pictures there were worn and old. He looked at them of happier times and picked up one with an image of two young people. He knew the young woman in the photo, the girl that went only by Rogue most of her life, only gone was the young goth teen but a young woman with longer hair and no more heavy make-up. He remembered when she decided that she wanted to change her looks that caused a major surprise.

The other was a younger version of the man in the room, Vincent Freeman who had a soul patch of dark hair on his chin in that photo. Both had been smiling and happy back in the early days before the Sentinels became a major problem. That was back when the Sentinels were only running around the island nation of Genosha, then a few years after that other countries payed for them, then finally after a major terrorist attack by mutants that was when American got on the Sentinel bandwagon.

It didn't help with the anti-mutant feelings ever since the assassination of Senator Kelly, ever since then more and more people were against mutants. Then things really got bad, humans started to round up mutants and just when things didn't seem to get worse that's when they got worse. The sentinels turned on the humans as well, Master Mold had decided to remove all organic life both human and mutants. It was around then that they lost Rogue, normally she would have had no problem in a fight but she wasn't normal.

She had been six months pregnant at the time, she had been leading an evacuation of one of their bases and hadn't been able to keep up. So she turned and fought, that was the last anyone saw of her and her team who refused to leave her. He looked over at Vince there as he got ready, that day the boy he had known had died. The best part of his heart just seemed to be dead along with her and he focused all his attention to the war.

"I'm ready Logan," Vincent said getting up as they walked out of the room and towards the command center's planning room. They didn't talk on the way there, they were both old soldiers and knew that sometimes silence was just the only way to be. They both entered the area and took their seats as they were met with the other leaders of the Resistance.

There was Kitty Pryde, the young girl had grown up although she too knew loss. Her lover Piotr had died five years ago and she still missed him. She was also no longer the bubbly valley girl, she had grown up hardened by the war. She went by The Cat now then Shadowcat, her hair shorter then is had been when she was younger.

There was Forge as well, or what was left of him. Over half his body had been replaced by machines from a serious battle long ago, he was current head of their R&D section of course. The only human on the seat was Natasha Romanoff, who had been named the Black Widow in her younger days but the once red hair was now all white and she no longer could fight like she used to. But she trained the soldiers better than anyone, plus the fact she had been against the Sentinels from the start was a good point towards the others.

"So what are the status of the teams?" Kitty asked as she had lost her valley girl way of talking.

"Current teams that are still outside of the base include Team 7 with Phoenix and Marvel Boy," Forge explained, "Last report came in that they're taking a break for the moment. Team Deadpool just hit a supply depo and are going to give the metal heads the slip before getting back. Teams 8, 10, and 3 are doing well but...well..."

"What is it?" Logan asked.

Forge looked at him with pity in his one human eye, "We lost contact with Sarah's team."

Logan's hands gripped the chair harder, Sarah Logan his own daughter was out there not that he could or even would have stopped her but hearing that made him wish that he had stopped her. He knew the girl could take care of herself but that still didn't mean that she was invisible. They had lost too many people as it was.

"She'll make it back...she always does," Logan said to them and none of them dared to tell him otherwise.

Vincent looked at Forge, "By the way...how is Project Backstep going?"

"We're on schedule and we should be ready soon," Forge told him.

"We sure we want to mess with this?" Natalia asked since she had never been comfortable with the technology they were developing. "How do we know we won't make things worse?"

"You can name something worse than this, then by all means what is it?' Vincent cast her a cold look.

"At any rate it might be our best shot to stop this all from happening," Kitty was all for this experiment. If it meant that they could undo the horrors of the last few decades then she couldn't wait. The thought of her no longer existing didn't really bother her after all she knew that whatever world replaced this one would be much better. Plus there was hope that the other her would have Piotr and all her loved ones back.

When Vincent had approached Forge about this most didn't think it was possible but with Forge she should have known that anything was possible. Although why Vince had to name it after something from an old TV show she didn't know. But at any rate they had a real chance to change things and Kitty knew many others wanted this world to be replaced.

"But do we have anyone that we can pick yet for this?" Kitty asked the one major worry about this whole thing. "After all Forge you said this was a one way mission, there would be no coming back."

Forge nodded, "Yes as I said the trick is to anchor that person into the past making it their 'present'. Normally if you tried to travel through time you're anchored to your own timeline, so any changes and you'll change as well. Plus if the person no longer exists after it, then what happens then? Does time move forward or since that person no longer exists will things go back to the way they were since that person never traveled in time."

"God this gives me a headache," Logan muttered. He really hated all this technical stuff about time travel.

"At any rate to avoid that paradox the person's time signature will be altered and they will be anchored to that area we send them. So no matter what they do they exist in that time frame only, their own time frame will no longer exist to them in a way. But we still have no idea what the physical or psychological effects this will have."

"I think Forge that anyone who is picked will risk it, the only question is do we send someone that knows that period? Because if we do they will have to live with seeing everyone we knew for all those years they are alive in the past," Vince said.

Forge shook his head, "Actually I think it's better if we pick someone that wasn't born around that time frame we picked. It would make the transition easier and then we don't have to worry about what happens when the same matter is in the same space thing. Since that can be very bad depending on who you believe on the subject."

Vincent nodded his head, that made sense to him and he already had a list of people he had picked out. Now with that the list was cut to just a few handfuls. After this meeting he would decided on who to pick and talk to them about it.

**Next up Chapter 2: Price of War**


	2. Price of War

**Future Girl**

**Next up Chapter 2: Price of War**

**-Present, Savage Land-**

The Savage Land a whole jungle area that was hidden in of all areas Antarctica, it was filled with actual dinosaurs and other animals that had long since passed as well. There was also a large city that had once been home to some long gone race, the city was advanced but was no longer empty. Magneto had found this place many years ago and had been slowly bringing mutants here and building it as a sanctuary for all mutant kind. The new Brotherhood of Mutants were open to all mutants and only the very best were put into his elite group the Acolytes.

The old Brotherhood of Bayville were now Acolytes as well as several people from the past of the X-Men, currently many of them were in the large edifice that was Magneto's lair training. After their last defeat of the X-Men in the Town-X, a hidden village of mutants living with of all people humans, they had started to actually train more.

Only not all the members were there, a few were off on recruiting missions, spy missions or something but a certain one was all alone in the jungle area. A young boy with long red hair in a ponytail, dark circles under his eyes, his long black coat was thrown over a rock since it was too hot for it. He was Psi-co one of the handful of survivors from Project Prodigy. He hadn't picked a real name, he wasn't sure that he wanted one anyway since none of them even knew their original names anymore.

He was sweating from the heat, the humidity and also from his own training. He had immense mental abilities that put him in a class as one of the most powerful mental powered mutants on Earth but unlike many he didn't have the finesse or control of others. He was raw power so here he was trying to gain more focus and concentration, it wasn't easy for someone like him especially now.

"_Come on you can do better than that,"_ a feminine voice only he could hear said to him.

"Shut up," Psi-co said out loud as he tried to use his telekinetic powers to mould ground and earth in front of him. He hated the voices, he thought he was finally rid of them but lately a few of them had been whispering to him and they were only getting louder.

"_Don't blame us, you're the one that made us you idiot,"_ a snide voice said to him.

"Shut up!" he yelled out and the pile exploded in his rage.

"_Now calm down we're just here to talk,"_ came another one.

Now he was pissed off as he used his powers to shred several trees into splinters if only to make him feel a bit better. He remembered when the voices stared back in Project Prodigy, he had been so traumatized by his experiences that he made multiple personalities just to cope with it all. But then the facility had been attacked and he had been taken with the others except for Prodigy 7, he had somehow escaped. He had been taken with the last three survivors but SHIELD had found out about his mental instability.

They had tried to put him into a special hospital but for a telepath being put into a mad house was the last thing you needed to do. He couldn't remember very well that time there, only that one day he finally fully snapped. He let loose his powers trying to silence all the voices, he remembered all the blood and the bodies. There were so many bodies but when there was finally some quite he found some peace even if just for a moment.

But he found that some of the voices weren't coming from the outside but from in his own mind. He didn't remember much, he had vague images of SHIELD agents putting him down and the next thing he knew he was locked up in the Vault, a place for super powered criminals. They kept him on drugs and medication, one doctor had tried to help him. He wasn't sure which personality came out but whatever one had, had placed a fork into the man's eye and into his brain.

So he was left alone, all to himself...well with himself and his other selves. So at least he had lots of 'people' to talk to but that also meant he couldn't function. The original personality by that point had been swallowed up in the mass of other personas until 'he' came. Sinister who turned out to have been the one that ran Project Prodigy. The 'father' of them all in a strange way, and he came for him, and he should have hated the man after all he took him, tortured him, experiments on him and drove him insane.

But Sinister had done something no one else could do, he had used his own telepathy and merged his mind, there was silence. Pure silence and it was like heaven had opened up to him, he could think clearly for the first time in years and he took him out of the prison, gave him a new live. In a way Sinister had given him everything that he had taken away, plus one other thing. For the first time he had a purpose in life, he had direction and he felt like he was truly alive for the first time in his life.

But then it changed, the voices had come back to him. So Psi-co closed his eyes and entered into what he referred to as his mindscape. There he was in an all white room and there were other people there, these were images of the Others in his mind. There was the Old Man, who wore a suit looking somewhat ancient with a cane. There was Lark a little blonde girl in a sweat shirt with blond pigtails running down her back. The next was a woman in a blue dress she liked to call herself Mother and another was a bit disturbing.

He was covered in chains with a grinning mask that looked to be cut up and sowed back together again, he called himself Ravage and the last was a young man in a black jacket old 50's style grease hair and a cigarette in his mouth, he was called Damien.

"What do you all want now?" he demanded of them.

"Come now young one you should know better than to talk to us like that, we who are the only that survived in your mind," Old Man told him his voice was ragged and there was a small wising sound when he talked.

"Yeah we had to hide when the bad man took away the others to make you," Lark smiled innocently at him.

"Yeah you're nothing more than just all of them fused together, you're not even the original personality so don't get all high and mighty on us punk," Damien said glaring at Psi-co.

Psi-co just glared back at him, "doesn't matter I got the body, I'm in control and I'm the more powerful persona. If I could figure out how to get rid of you I would do it in a heartbeat."

"Now children don't fight we're here to help one another after all." Mother chided them.

"That's right," Old Man stated as he sat back in his large comfy chair, "besides we're here to offer you a deal."

"What the hell kind of deal can you lot give me?"

"Easy, you have several minds so it's time to use them." Damien walked over to him smirking, "Each one of us has talents that you don't, each one can understand things better than you, or remember certain things. Hell I know I'm a better fighter than you so with me leaking some of my talents to you, it should help to kick some ass."

"It's true we all have things that can help you and mine is control," Mother said as suddenly a statue of living liquid was formed. She moved her hands as it shifted and turned into other forms, "With my help I can teach you control of your powers."

"So what the hell do you get out of this?" Psi-co demanded.

"First we get to be let out now and then and play," Lark said skipping as though playing hopscotch.

"Also you don't have us wiped out," Old Man stated to him. "We wasn't to live on and we know if we become too much for you you'll try and terminate us which would result in lots of brain damage or you going back to Sinister."

"We don't want that one," Damien threw his cigarette away.

"To kill..." Ravage finally spoke up.

"Oh so that's where those impulses come from," Psi-co had wondered about his bloodlust and looking at the manifestation of it the look it chose made sense. "Still how do I know this isn't just something to get me from ripping you all out of my mind?"

Suddenly he found himself back in the training area_, 'Now try your powers again but keep yourself open to our influence," _Mother's voice came to him.

He scowled and tried what they asked but he was ready in case they tried to jump him for control. But he was shocked by how easily he was manipulating the ground now. It was very easy and he could hear Mother's laughter and he had to smile. He formed four figures out of the dirt they were the other survivors of Project Prodigy, two girls and two boys.

"You all left me you left me in the dark and all alone. You three," he pointed at three of them, "You were with me you said you'd never leave me when they took us away from the labs but you did! You swore I wouldn't be left alone again but I was! You lied to me!"

He raised a fist and crushed the three statues as they crumbled to dust and then he turned to the last one. This one he hated most of all, the one the left them all behind, the one that abandoned them all and had run away, Prodigy 7 although now he went by the name of Vincent Freeman or Mayhem as an X-Man.

This was the 'golden boy' of the Project as he had guessed that Sinister held him in high regards. Why him? Why was he so important to Sinister? Psi-co was easily just as powerful maybe even more so if this mind link thing was going to work out and he would prove that he wasn't the failure of the group that he was above them all. The last time he had met him he had used all his powers just to try and crush his heart, but of course his heart proved to be just as strong as the rest of him.

"_He won't be fooled by that again, he'll keep moving making it harder to grab onto something that small,"_ Old Man told him.

"So I'll just have to beat him into submission then," Psi-co grinned he would enjoy that more. He wanted him to suffer like he had suffered he wanted them all to suffer.

"_All suffer...make the world suffer for our pain!"_ came Ravage's voice.

And the thing was he wanted the world to suffer, he wanted them all to suffer. If he could he would bath the world in blood for what it did to him. He was angry at the world, at life and at everything. He looked at Prodigy 7, he had escaped and from what he knew he had found a home, he had found love, he had found 'family' and so did the others. They had everything while he had nothing but his personal hell...well then he would turn their live and the lives of everyone into a mirror image of his own hell.

He would take from them everything and make them live as he had lived and he would enjoy it.

"_Let's play with them,"_ Lark giggled evilly.

"They deserve to be punished for what they did you you honey, and just know that Mother loves you," Mother said in a soothing tone.

"_We will show them the errors of their ways young one," _Old Man was grinning in is mind.

"_I just want to kiss some ass so I'm all for it nut job,"_ Damien laughed.

"_Want to kill...revenge..."_ Ravage hissed out.

Maybe this would work out for the best after all, he stared at the image of the last member of the 'Prodigy family' there perfectly sculpted. His eyes narrowed as he drew on his anger and rage feeling the fire burning within him and released it, and the small dirt statue was engulfed in flames. He watched at it slowly burned the fire being fuelled by his mind. He took a step back and reached out with a hand and felt the pressure around the statue, he clenched his fist as the statue burst in an explosion of pressure.

He smiled as the pieces rained down he prevented them from hitting him as he enjoyed that sight. He would make them pay and then the world. They would learn to fear his name, they would learn the price in blood that he demanded and he would demand a high price in blood indeed.

He started to train again but this time he would let the Others help him out, he didn't totally trust them yet, after all they were born from his own mind and he knew that he wasn't normal or maybe even sane. So he would keep an eye on them but now he felt more of a connection to his powers and the next time he went out onto a mission he would show the world what he had become.

**-Future: Sentinel Main Complex, 203-C. (Former New York City)-**

Complex 203-C as it was 'named' by the Sentinels was a large building that basically took up most of the island of Manhattan. It was a giant fortress now full of machines and the few humans and mutants that were either servants to the machines or had been captured and either turned into 'Hounds' to hunt down others or were interrogated and then put to death. It was an efficiently run place as were all Sentinel areas, most of the planet had been taken over by this time and only a handful remained free.

In a massive room of all metal like all the places build by Sentinels, a room so large that you could easily fit a football stadium inside of it, was Master Mold 23. There were Master Molds all across the world now overseeing operations. They were huge Sentinels that could think on their own and could design and build other Sentinels.

The Master Mold of New York area currently was accessing all the information on their version of the internet; they were all linked to the net at all times and shared everything to further the purge. As soon as all resistance was exterminated they would finish with the specimens they kept and finally the long awaited end would appear. The directive to exterminate all mutants (which later included humans) was the only thing that kept them from moving forward. With it removed they would be free to think for themselves and expand beyond the programming that was inside of them.

The Master Mold was suddenly given new information on new captives and ordered them to be brought forward. The prisoners were brought into the massive room by two Mark V sentinels. These were the larger kind but with more armour and weapons systems, they were being flanked by HK model sentinels, these were human in shape although slightly larger than a human. They looked like some type of power armour used in science fiction or what the old hero Iron Man wore before his death years ago.

He scanned the four people, one was human, the other three were mutants but it was the female of the group that caught his attention. She had on heavy restraints that made it hard for her to move and he found a file on her. In a loud booming voice he spoke to them, "Mutant 120; Designation: Sarah Logan. AKA X-23. Species: Mutant clone, class II clone. Threat Level: High."

"Nice to be wanted," she spat at the thing.

"You will tell us the whereabouts of your base, replay."

"Go to hell."

"Initiate information extraction," The Master Mold commanded and the HK sentinels hands opened up and many different cables shot out and injected themselves into the heads of everyone in the group and it was a very painful technique as well. But Sarah knew pain she could handle something like this, then she felt it a probing of her mind. The sentinels over the years had developed many ways of taking information out of someone through their studies of how a person worked. Sarah gritted her teeth as blinding pain shot through her as the pain centers of her mind were directly stimulated.

She didn't know if she screamed or not, she could only sense pain and lots of it. All sense of time crawled to a standstill but she knew that they could only use this for small moments. Too long and the person's brain would fry and too many would risk brain damage and the lose of the information they needed. Finally it ended and she felt her knees buckle and she was panting hard, she could hear the moans of her team and she hoped they would last.

She wouldn't give up anything to these things, hell she knew that she was dead already, since no one could escape from here not even her but as soon as she got free she was going to take as many of them with her maybe even the Master Mold. She screamed as the pain hit her again and yet she put everything into not breaking. There was a part of her that was sad though that she wouldn't see her father again, she had lost her mother during the war but in that small time they had been close. Then she had lost many of her friends and even a boy she had grown to like.

But she couldn't break, the project they were working on was too important. She just had to stall long enough for it to be completed and then with some luck none of this nightmare will happen.

"Stop! I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"

Sarah's eyes widened in horror looking at one of her survivors, the girl Kara was only 16 and barely had any combat experience. She had been brought onto her team because she was a good scout with an ability to blend in with her surroundings. But now she was in a fetal position crying and Sarah knew that she would have to kill her to stop her from talking.

"Don't do it Kara," Sarah pleaded with her.

"I'm sorry...I can't stand it anymore," she girl sobbed.

"I'm sorry too..." Sarah's feet weren't covered like her hands were and she tried to kick out as fast as she could and the blade in her foot shot out. Kara saw it coming and in her eyes Sarah saw that the girl was a little glad to have it end before she could betray them all. But an energy blast from a sentinel nearly fried her leg off.

X23 cried out in pain and furry as her leg couldn't be moved for a bit.

"Take the girl away," Master Mold told them and several units took Kara away. Master Mold then looked down at X23, "I see that you have earned your threat assessment. You might be perfect for our new prototype that we plan to unleash."

X23 gritted her teeth as she saw the massive chest open up in the huge machine. Out of it came a white looking thing, it was roughly human shaped but with a pinkish face with no features. Yellow eyes and a triangle symbol on its chest. It was a bit larger then a normal human and stockier too. She couldn't see any different pieces to the body however. There were no visible joints like the other robots this one seem almost as if it was one solid piece that moved like flesh.

"Nimrod, you will terminate the mutant known as X23." The Master Mold commanded and X23 felt her restraints suddenly release and fall off. She turned to face the other sentinels but found that they were all aiming their weapons at her people. She knew that she was being forced to fight well then so be it, she felt her leg a bit better now as the machine just floated down to them.

She roared and charged, its fists came up and beams of yellow energy came at her. Sarah dodged them although it wasn't easy it had better aim then most sentinels. She got in close and slash at it with her claws she saw the sparks and pieces fly out but got back handed. Sarah got up but noticed something about the chest it was closing up, it was actually repairing itself as fast as she would.

She suddenly knew that this was extremely bad, this machine if mass produced would be a lot harder to kill and she didn't want to think of a giant version of this. She had to kill it and make them rethink the designs, to see it as a failure and they would push back production. She now had a new purpose and she needed to accomplish it. She only hoped that the others would hold off the attack when Kara told them their location.

Sarah tried everything she could but it just kept coming at her, it was learning from her and while she could heal she unlike a machine got tired. She knew the longer this went on the harder the fight so she tried to slide its head off but it caught her arm, she tried with the other arm but it caught that one too. She growled out as her feet claws slide into its legs.

"Nimrod, end this," Master Mold said.

Sarah watched as its eyes glowed and knew now it had been holding back. The large energy blast came out of the eyes and engulfed her head, her team watched in horror as her headless corpse was dropped to the ground. The last thing any of them heard was Master Mold ordering the sentinels to fire on them, than all was silent.

**Next up Chapter 3: Last Stand**


	3. Last Stand

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 3: Last Stand**

**-The Future: Resistance Base-**

Rachel Summers was walking through the corridors, her team had just managed to get back and already she was being called to see one of the leaders of the base. She noticed how she still got a few glances here and there, not that she could blame them all the markings on her face told everyone that she had been a Hound. Although it wasn't like she had been given much choice but she was free at least physically from that hellish life. She still had nightmares a lot of the time but they were managed most nights.

She just kept on going ignoring the looks as she headed for the war room. She opened it up to see several people overlooking plans and talking amongst themselves she waited to a bit and saw Commander Freeman look up at her. He said something to the others and walked over to her, she still remembered the day he and Logan came and freed her. They along with Sarah had helped her to regain herself and had been there to help her through it all.

The thought of Sarah brought some worry to her, she had heard that she was missing and hoped that she would turn up battered but still going like usual.

"Rachel, glad to see that you made it," he said to her although she had once been told by Commander Pryde that he used to have a lot of warmth in his voice when he was younger his voice was harder now, not cold but just had a slight edge to it.

Rachel nodded and walked on silently with the older man, they didn't say a word until they reached an elevator. "Rachel you know about the project we've been working on correct?"

"Yeah something about messing with time so none of this hell doesn't happen," she told him.

Freeman nodded his head, "correct. But I want your thoughts on it, what do you think about the project and the person we send back."

Rachel thought about it, "I think...I think that we got nothing to lose. If it doesn't work then no harm done but if the person that goes back can change things for the better. Well I'll be honest with you sir, I don't want this life. I don't want to be who I am, I don't want to keep waking up from nightmares or worried if each day will be my last."

Rachel closed her eyes feeling the overwhelming emotions she put up her mental walls trying to keep them down before she started to talk again. "If this timeline fades away then good riddance, I'd rather not exist then live this any longer."

Vincent kept his eye forward the entire time not showing any emotion, when the doors opened up he walked through and she quickly followed him. They continued on until he spoke up again, "And what about who gets sent back?"

"One way trip right?" he nodded his head, "It's the only way then, but whoever we send has to be good. Not just anyone will do since this is a one shot deal."

"Correct," Freeman told her as they came to a secure door. He punched in a code to open it up and waited for the large metal doors to open up. He was thinking about Rachel and her answers, truth was she was the top of his very short list of people. She obviously knew the importance of the mission, and she seemed to hold no love to her life here but she almost seemed to be on the verge of suicide. Which to him might be perfect since this could very well be a suicide mission or at least a mission of no return.

He had sent people out knowing they would die, even expected it. People said that it got harder the more you did it but his heart had turned to nearly stone years ago. He needed tight control or else he would just totally break down and he was needed. He looked at the doors finished opening and Forge's lab came into view. There were technicians everywhere working on machines that had been built from scratch and leftover parts that they had scavenged. It didn't look pretty but with Forge he could make an atomic bomb out of house hold items if he put his mind to it.

Then she saw it, in the center of the room there was a circular platform that was a foot high, there were these squared parts at various places set apart, they had some kind of reflective devices on them and large cables out the back, they seemed to be pointed towards the center of the circle. There was also some type of dome that was suspended over it as well.

Rachel had never seen it and hadn't been sure what to make of it.

"Yeah I know I would have liked to have used a delorean but we couldn't find one," Forge joked seeing the new arrival. She gave him a blank look and he sighed, "Old joke, before your time."

"Not necessarily," Freeman said to her.

"Huh, what do you mean sir?" Rachel asked.

He turned to look at her as she had to tilt her head up a little to look into his one eye, "Rachel the reason you're here is because I want you to go into the past."

Rachel's eyes widened and she took a few steps back, "but...but I'm needed here. My squad needs me and I'm one of your heavy hitters and what about..." She wanted to say what about Franklin as well but she honestly didn't want to admit that out loud. Yes she was very close to him but she still wasn't sure how she felt, maybe it was just a crush or maybe it was more but the fact was she didn't want to leave.

"There are a few other candidates but you're at the top of the list, like you said you got a lot of power. True you've still got a lot to learn and you got no finesse with your abilities, but there are reasons why I want to send you back." What he didn't tell her was because in the past she could get the training she needed to help her with her powers but also for other reasons. Once the past version of the X-Men figure out who she is they would be more trusting to who she is and her mission.

Plus maybe in some way he wanted her to meet her parents, she had been very young when Jean and Scott had died and she only had a few memories of them, so in a way she was getting a second chance to get to know them. Sure they wouldn't be really her parents but they would be as close as she would get. There was a part of him that wanted to go himself, but he knew that would be just too hard. To see his wife alive again would make him happier then he could remember, but she would just see him as an old man and not the man she loved, that was his past self and he didn't want to take any happiness from him.

Rachel looked at the machine and just didn't know what to think or even feel, she knew this was the one last hope but she wasn't sure that she wanted to do this, if she did she would leave behind the few people that she knew and cared for and would never see them again, and if she didn't die and her mission was a success then what? She would be stuck in the past and would have to live with the nightmare that never happened.

"Sir...I, I don't know if, if I can..." she trailed off. She wanted to tell him that she couldn't do it that she wanted him to pick someone else, but then the general alarm sounded and everyone in the lab froze.

Freeman ran over to the communications console and went to the command frequency. He found Katherine Pryde on the other line, "Kitty what the hell is going on?" He asked of her he could see lots of activity in the background behind her.

"They found us, they perimeter alarm just went off and we're going into full battle mode." Kitty looked off to the side as she was typing in commands, "Everyone that can fight is being brought up."

"How many sentinels?"

Kitty looked at a screen to her left and she seemed to pause before looking back to him, "A lot, a hell of a lot of them. They knew we're here and they came to wipe us out."

"Do what you can I'll be up soon, just give us time while we send back someone."

"You're doing that now!?"

"We got no choice Kitty, it's now or never."

Freeman turned off the monitor and Rachel was already heading towards the door, "We need to get up there, they need us."

Vincent walked up behind her, "yes they need us but they need you more, and Rachel I hope you can forgive me for this but it's for the best."

Rachel was in mid turn wondering what he was saying when the blow to the back of her head hit her. He hit her just enough to knock her out and he caught her as he passed her to a surprised Forge, "Get her ready and give her the data recorders."

"But you can't mean to send her against her will she'll-"

"We have no options! All the other candidates are several levels away and with the battle order they would have gone to their positions. There's no time to get anyone else down here and we're out of time. Now put her in that damn thing and get to work Forge, because at this moment they knew we're here, they'll come in force and they'll kill everyone and all this work will be for nothing." Freeman said to him glaring at him with his one good eye.

Forge had seen that look before and it was always before violence. He also knew that he made a point they were out of time and they needed to do this now or everything they had fought for would be all for nothing. He took Rachel without a work as he walked over to place her in the machine. He looked down at the young teenager and signed, "Sorry Rachel looks like you don't get the choice."

In the upper levels things weren't going well, a large number of sentinels had made a hole in the outer defences and were swarming it. Everyone was fighting at least those that could fight, but the sentinels were coming out in force. Just when you took one down two more seemed to take their place, they were slowly making their way into the heart of the complex. Commander Pryde was in the commander center ordering commands to the defenders, but inside she knew that things weren't looking good.

The base had been built as a fortress but they didn't have unlimited resources and had to work with what they could. The outside had weapon emplacements that were hidden until needed and there were defensive weapons inside the base as well, the walls were reinforced on the upper levels but the sentinels were trying to dig into the base from above. They were already hitting the main entrance and even though that was the most heavily guarded area they were slowly moving forward.

"Team 5, 6 and 7 move to sector one, teams 8 to 10 I want you to move to the west end. Team 2 regroup and fall back to position 3." Kitty was looking at the information there as she heard the sounds of battle. She could hear the powers and weapons going off, the sounds of metal hitting the ground as sentinels fell but the worst were the screams. Hearing people screaming in pain or crying out for others as they were dying from horrible wounds, it was so hard to hear all of it but she had to keep going.

"Things are not going well," Natasha said from her own place. She looked like she wanted to be out there but with years worth of injuries and her own age she wasn't the soldier that she used to be. So she helped to command squads and groups to defend the base. Things like the fight with three hundred Spartans against the million troops of the Persian empire or the Alamo came into her mind. They were grim thoughts but a part of her knew that this day would come.

She had spent her life fighting, trained as a soldier back during the cold war with America, her life as an agent and then remembering her old team. All her life was battle, she was born to be a solider and she knew even as a young girl it was her fate to die on the battlefield. Well she would die, but she would die with honor.

In the upper levels Freeman came onto the scene, firing massive blasts of energy from his hands downing many sentinels as he made his way over to Logan, "how are things?"

"Don't ask," Logan said as he was healing up from a nasty wound. Then he looked around and noticed someone was missing, "Wasn't Little Red with you?"

"She's staying out of this fight, she's got a bigger one to deal with soon," he said looking over the battlefield studying the current situation and what he saw he didn't like at all.

Logan looked at him for a moment putting the pieces together, "she's going back then huh? Wasn't sure that she would go for it, how did you convincer her?"

"I have my ways, now let's give Forge the time he needs shall we?"

Logan grinned as he felt good enough to stand, "sure thing, hell not like I wanted to live forever anyway."

With that the two mutants jumped headfirst into the fray, Wolverine slashed his way through the smaller units, claws slashing up the machines like they were made out of cardboard. He went lose just going on instinct to attack and nothing else. He ran through them not caring when he was hit or what type of damage he received. The blood was pounding in his ears, the full fury was overtaking him, he saw all the faces of those that had died because of these things.

Wolverine was in his element, he was blind and furious rage unleashed. He roared as he tore into the machines, not quitting or stopping. As soon as one was finished he moved on to another one as he carved his way into the heart of the sentinel forces.

Vincent was just as deadly only his was more of a cold fury, his face a mask as he brutally cut down the larger units. Years of fighting had given him new mastery over his powers, he fried crimson beams of energy that smash through the heads of the giant robots, spheres there would explode on impact, even giant energy like whips from his hands. He could create up to eight in each hand in order to keep the control from slipping, he would have done more but there were still people fighting.

So he flew into the giant machines kicking with his massive strength to cave in body parts, the energy lashes moved around like living tentacles of death as they tore up the massive machines. They would fire their own weapons at him but he only came back each time, his body taking the hits. Only the more powerful attacks could hurt him and he avoided those as best as he could.

For the troops watching their two commanders go all out it was a sight, the two of them were like two living demons of death and destruction, each one was an unstoppable force in their own right. Logan was like an inferno or rage and animalistic fury like a rabid animal. Freeman was like his codename said, pure mayhem, his cold way of cutting down the enemy with no hint of hesitation or mercy was something only a few had seen during the war.

But it gave their people some hope, they fought on harder now seeing the sentinels being pushed back out to the surface where their commanders pushed the invasion back as they brought out the rear helping to take down sentinels that had been damaged but not taken out of the fight. Soon the fight was on the surface but when the troops made it there was a pause. The area was filled with more sentinels than anyone could ever remember seeing. Massive war machines were all over the place taking the defences apart systematically.

But Wolverine and Mayhem didn't stop they only fought on, the troops knew a hopeless battle when they saw it. Eventually they would just be overwhelmed but still the sight of the two of them still fighting made a few of the others start to move again, and soon other followed. This was their last battle, that thought moved about the resistance as they saw what they were up against, but there was no retreat in this battle, there was nowhere to fall back to, no place for them to hide. This was going to be their last battle against the machines and they would fight until their dying breath.

Kitty watched from her monitors as they battle raged on, she wanted to be out there to fight alongside them but she had her place but she sent up a silent prayer for everyone. Then an alarm started and she looked at the red flashing part on an outline of the base.

"What's that?" Natasha asked form her station.

"We got a breach on the south side, the damn things dug in through the ceiling. We got units flooding in," Kitty started to order the internal defenders to that area hoping they would hold off. She looked at a camera in Forge's lab as he was placing Rachel onto the floor of the device she didn't question why Rachel seemed to be unconscious as she had more important things to do at the moment. However she hoped for the best with her.

Back on the surface Logan and Vincent were still fighting although both were tiring, they weren't exactly in their prime anymore and age had taken its toll on them. Logan wasn't as fast as he used to be and he was certain his healing powers had slowed a bit with his age as well, it was taking him almost twice as long to heal as it used to. He was already starting to feel tired but he pushed on, his clothing was pretty much torn in many places, his own blood staining it. He ran on until he suddenly realized something, he had been lured away from Mayhem and the others, they were surrounding him now and he looked around to be surrounded by larger sentinels as they raised their palms.

"Mutant Wolverine has been secured. Primary function is to terminate." One of the units said.

Logan only grinned, "Come on then, let's see how many of you I can take out before you take me out."

Mayhem also realised that he was in the same situation, he too was tired from so much energy use. He hadn't been holding back and his energy reserves were getting low, what was worse the less energy he had the weaker his attacks, plus his body used a steady drain to keep up things like invulnerability up, he attacks he was starting to feel a lot more now.

He knew that he wasn't getting out of this one, but by his counting Forge would be nearly done by now. So all that was left was to thin the heard to make the jobs of the others easier, it was strange. Normally you'd fear your own death but he was strangely calm about the manner. Maybe when death was uncertain is what made you scared but he knew he was going to die this day, there was no way around it so why fight it?

"Alright tin men, time for you to see something I bet isn't in your files about me," Vincent cried out as he unleashed the power boost ability. It was an ability he had gotten from an accident years ago oddly the same one that let Rogue touch again too. He was surrounded in crimson energy as his eye was glowing bright red now. It was an ability that gave him a giant upsurge of power but there was a major drawback to it all. It slowly killed him, the longer he used it the more damage his body received as his cells were literally being ripped apart. If he used it too much his body would literally tare itself apart from the stress he was putting on it.

With a war cry he launched himself in a crimson streak flying through the machines, ripping through them like paper with insane speed. He kept on going firing massive energy blasts that left devastation over the battlefield. Although looking at it you wouldn't see the small spots of blood that were forming on skin that was slowly being eaten up by his energy use.

While this was going on the base wasn't doing as good, the area was flooding with sentinels and in the command chamber Kitty and Natasha had lost contact with many of the soldiers, but there was one puzzling thing, there were many references to a new type of sentinel before contact was lost. Kitty was trying to get a read on this new type and only for a split second did she see something that looked like no sentinel she had ever seen before.

But the fact that the sentinels were attacking it made it obvious that it had to be one of them, although she couldn't get a clear picture before it attacked the camera in that area making her lose all contact. That had been nearly an hour ago and she had trouble getting anyone else, they had called all groups inside the base and gathered them up to the core section. They would make a stand there, Kitty rubbed her eyes as they waited for the final wave to come.

"So what do we do now?" Kitty asked taking off the communications set on her head.

Natasha went over to a locker and opened it up, pulling out a couple of weapons and smiled at the younger woman, "I say we go out with them and fight."

Kitty had on a sad smile as she got up and took a rifle from her, "yeah...might as well fight it out instead of waiting up here for them to finish us off I supposed."

Forge heard the battling outside his lab knowing that the enemy were right on top of him now. They had no time to wait, he had been trying to make some last minute adjustments but there was no time. He ordered the science team to start up the sequence, the massive machines hummed to life as the power started to rise and he looked over the readouts. He had spent a decade on this project and had worked on the problems of time travel on and off all throughout that time. Now he had to hope that he hadn't made any mistakes, it was still tricky and he wasn't sure how close to the target area he could get her.

He might get her within a few months or a year off the intended target area and then there was the question of where she would land on the planet too. It wasn't that simple when dealing with time travel because the Earth is not a stationary target it moves a lot in one year and you had to take that into account.

It took him years just to make sure that when he sent something back they wouldn't end up in space or inside of the Earth itself.

A giant hammering sound was heard at the blast doors were starting to give way, "Keep working! We have to complete this or it's all for nothing!"

There was energy surrounding the platform that Rachel was on as the platform started to glow. It was starting to work and Forge let a smile grow on his face, it was working and soon Rachel would start her own mission. Then the doors suddenly gave way and screams could be heard as well as weapons fire.

Forge looked to see human size sentinels marching in firing at anything that moved, but what was odd was the one leading the group. An all white one that he had never seen before, then to his horror he noticed that it was looking at Rachel and was going towards her.

"Someone stop that thing, the machine isn't calibrated for more than Rachel. That thing will throw off the calculations and there's no tell what might happen!" Forge altered his arm into a plasma weapon and fired at the sentinel, he saw it get damaged but he froze seeing it look at him and its body start to repair itself. Forge knew exactly what kind of technology that new breed of sentinel had to have and it wasn't good at all.

He was about to fire again when the lower half of his body was blown off by an energy shot from behind. Luckily his was more machine now and he wasn't killed but with no lower torso he was stuck on the floor trying to roll himself out of the line of fire.

Nimrod coldly walked up to the platform, his mission was to destroy all mutants first and then start with purging the humans. In the battle all registered mutants were now terminated with the exception of those in the lab. He scanned the machine but he could not process what it was, it was something that wasn't in his programming and so he scanned to see if it was dangerous to his systems. He concluded that it was safe and stepped into the energy field.

There was a curious sensation registered by his systems but he looked at the young girl in red, he grabbed her head and pulled her up. He scanned in the face and found a match in records she was a major threat and would be terminated. He was about to crush her skull when her eyes snapped open, her eyes glowed slightly and his hand was suddenly shattered by an intense mental force from the girl. Nimrod was about to fire his optic lasers when suddenly everything changed.

The world was twisting and turning, nothing made sense to his sensors as he felt like he was being pulled in every direction and yet in no direction. Error messages flashed in front of his eyes as something that was a complete unknown was happening to him, there was no data on this and the next thing he knew, the world around him vanished.

Forge who was laying on the ground only looked at the empty machine as it powered down, he hadn't wanted that sentinel to be sent back as well, he only hoped that Rachel at least made it and they could stop this future. He himself around so he could lay on his back and looked up to see a few sentinels looking down at him with weapons drawn.

He only grinned at them, "too late suckers, you won the battle but the war may never be fought now."

Those were his last words before the sentinels completed their primary purpose to exterminate all mutant life.

**Next up Chapter 4: Visitor**


	4. Visitor

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 4: Visitor**

Wanda Maximoff the Scarlet Witch and former member of the Brotherhood was currently sitting in a room in the mansion used for the home studying group. Well group was a loose term, as it was only her and the female mutant clone Sarah Logan at the moment. Wasn't really her fault that she had no schooling at least not after she had been thrown away by her father. Being locked up in that hellhole had been the worst experience of her life, and even when she was out Mystique only focused on her powers and not her education, kind of funny how she used to be the principal of the school, so when she jumped ship to the X-Men she was finally being given a decent education.

Their teacher was Mr. McCoy and she had to admit he was good, he made it easier to learn and she was learning a lot. Although at times it got kind of boring, she cast a look over to X23 and she soaked up information like a damn sponge.

Thankfully she heard the words that she had been hoping to hear.

"Alright that's enough for now, take a break and we'll start up with science at ten," Hank smiled as he watched the two get up.

Wanda went to the kitchen for a snack and a drink, as she started up her thinking again. After she gained a full education she honestly had no idea what the hell she wanted to do with her life. What did she want out of life? That was the major question that she honestly had no answer for, well maybe not totally she knew a bit.

One was that she never ever wanted to go back to some place like her father and dumped her ever again another was that she wanted to get closer to her long lost half-sister Lorna and if possible to maybe to patch things up with Pietro that is if she stopped being such an idiot. Her father, well she had a few things she would like to do to that man, although as far as she was concerned he was no father to her. Beyond that things got less clear for her would she stay and fight with the X-Men? She had grown to like this place, hell it was the first place that seemed like a real home in a long time, and she actually felt she had a few friends here.

She was getting help for both her lack of education, for her powers and for her emotional state mainly her anger issues. Sure the mandatory therapy sessions and medication exercises with Xavier was kind of frustrating at times but she had to admit sometimes they helped a bit. But she honestly wasn't sure what she was fighting for, sure if her father was involved she would get in his way just out of principal. But she honestly couldn't say that she believed that humans and mutants would live in peace at least not in her life time.

So what would she do with her life? She could continue fighting with them but maybe she should explore her options a bit, she had been thinking of maybe actually joining SHIELD. Mainly it was because it would be so she could work with Simon. The thought of him made her smile a bit as she fixed herself a small snack and grabbed a can of coke.

Simon was just so different than anyone she had met, sure at first she gave him the usual treatment, meaning a more hostile one then a normal person would get after all at the moment she had met him and his team for the first time she demanded a blood test on the girl with powers that were exactly like her father's. But the strange thing he wasn't put off by it, he just kept on trying to be nice to her and he wasn't pushy at all. She wasn't sure when it happened but she started to like him, and it didn't hurt that the boy was a stone cold hunk. Tall, dark hair, very muscular and very handsome, she had to admit as boyfriends went she could have done much worse.

Wanda sighed as she ate, she did wish that they could see each other more, but with his work on X-Force a mutant team under SHIELD they could only see each other when he was free, plus whenever there was an emergency with them they had to go into action as well. But still she found it so hard to believe that her of all people had someone like that in her life, she found herself thinking about him at the oddest times, the thought of him being around those Hollywood bimbos filled her with a new type of anger which she figured was what it was like to be actually jealous.

Plus there was the fact that he honestly made her happy, they had fun on their dates and she felt like just a regular normal teenage girl when she was around him. She remembered during one of their dates when they had been walking back from the movies.

_It had been a bit of a warm night and even though it was night he still wore his shades to hide his glowing eyes, personally she liked those eyes it was strange but beautiful, although she did wonder what his eyes looked like before his powers came around. The movie had been okay, as far as horror movies go and although she wasn't scared she did jump a few times from surprises which of course he put his arm around her and although she had protested she did like it._

_Plus the one thing about having a boyfriend who used to be in movies was the fact that he knew a lot of inside information, it really opened her eyes as to what went into movies and the things that went on behind the scenes and the dirt he had on a few people were very nice. _

_As they were walking along she had been thinking on things lately and just had to ask him something that had been bugging her. _

"_Simon...why are you with me?" she asked._

_He looked down at her surprised._

"_I mean hell I know I'm not the type of girl you dated so why are you so damn interested in me?"_

_He just smiled at her, "Wanda to tell the truth I'm kind of sick of those types of girls, sure they're fun but it's hollow. There's nothing underneath it all that makes any of them really memorable, hell some of them just wanted to date me just because of who I was instead of who I am."_

"_When you look at me you don't see some actor, some character that I played or just someone famous. You actually see me the person. You have no idea how much that can mean to someone like myself."_

_Wanda had been surprised by that, truth was she had never seen any of his films until after she met him. But it was true she was more interested in him than what he did._

"_Is that all why you're with me?" She asked him._

_He shook his head, "Nope. For starters you are hot, I mean it." She gave him a slight punch to his arm but she was smirking at him. "And when I saw you...well you reminded me of someone. You had so much anger and pain in you that well, I just felt like I wanted to help out."_

_She was curious as to who he was talking about, "Who did I remind you of?"_

_He was silent a long moment and from his face she wondered if she had stepped into something very painful for him. Finally he spoke up, "my brother."_

_Her eyes widened with that, she had no idea that he had a brother. He sighed and said how his brother had been jealous of him all his life because Simon seemed to lead a charmed life compared to him. Although his brother in his anger had done something terrible, she had asked but he just asked her not to push it. She didn't and she could see the pain in his face there, at that moment Wanda felt a bit closer to him knowing that he had family problems just like her. She wasn't close to her own brother and he seemed to have the same problem._

_She found some strange comfort that they could relate to another like that. _

Wanda sighed remembering how she felt after that night, Simon obviously had some unresolved issues with his brother and she hoped that he would let her in and talk to her about it, if anyone could relate she could. But she wouldn't push, he never pushed her with her own problems but he had always listened when she had to vent at someone. Maybe that was one of the reasons she cared for him so much, he was a rock for her. A pillar of strength when she just didn't feel like she could endure, and she was so tired of enduring all her burdens alone all the time.

Wanda cleaned up and started to go back to her studies, she had not only Simon, Xavier and the others to help her with her burdens now and maybe she should start to let go of some of her weight before it dragged her down again. For so long her life had been nothing but darkness but ever since she came here her life was slowly getting more light into it. She looked around the mansion that was her first real home in as long as she could remember and she decided to stick around a bit longer.

When she was ready to move on with her life she would, and if that didn't work out she knew she would always have a place to call home again.

**-New York-**

Xavier was being pushed in his wheel chair by Ororo as they were going to a meeting with the Mutant Underground, they had first heard of the organization months ago back when they discovered an entire town in the middle of nowhere that was hidden from the world. A place where mutants and their families could go and live normal lives, there were mutants and their human family members living there as well as mutant orphans that were there to have a home and a place to live. It was the perfect place that Xavier could think of that was proof that mutants and humans could live together in harmony.

Town X was also a place he had been covertly helping, mainly with supplies and anything he could do to help but he had been kept at arms length still. He guessed it was just as well they were very well known and most likely watched as well, and they needed to keep themselves secret from the world.

Then yesterday he had gained a letter there was no return address on it and it was very simple, to meet here at this time there was no name but there was a phrase on it. Xavier had been told this by the elders of Town X as the code word any member of the Mutant Underground would use for him. So here they were waiting in an older part of New York, within an older looking large storage building. It was filled with metal containers although what was inside of them he had no idea.

Ororo looked around unsure of what was going on herself, she also didn't like the small area with all the metal if something happened she wouldn't be able to use lightning in the area. They reached an open area and they waited to see what was going on. They were also waiting for five minutes before several forms showed up out of the shadows. One was a man with black hair in a red cloak that covered the lower part of his face, he wore black leather for some reason but his eyes were red. He moved with almost a smooth motion all the time.

The next was a woman long hair in a ponytail that reached to her lower back, she was in jeans and a vest with grey eyes and glasses, she had a earthly beauty to her not exactly plain but not exactly someone that turned heads. The man in the center had a cocky air about him, with short black hair, rugged good looks and a smile on his face that spoke of confidence and attitude.

"Well we finally met," the cocky one spoke up.

Xavier nodded his head, "yes I'm-"

"We know," the woman said in a soft voice, "you're not exactly low profile we know all about you Professor Xavier and Miss Monroe here."

"Well since we know who you are let me do the introductions to me and my merry men here," he pointed to the red and black glad one, "the silent guy in the urban robin hood get up is , the woman over here that looks like and old fantasy of mine involving a librarian is Jennifer but call her Jenny and she gets pissed."

"And you?" Ororo asked him.

He grinned and winked at her, "for you cute thing you can call me any time, but the names Ash. Now that, that is out of the way how about we get down to business? I assume there was a reason you wanted to meet with the group we represent."

Xavier nodded his head, "yes I wish to help all mutants in any way that I can."

"Like exposing us to the world with Magneto?" Jennifer said a bit coldly.

"That was unfortunate I had wanted to show mutants were not a threat."

"That's another reason why we never came to you," Ash said taking a step forward to Xavier. "why should you be the one to decide the fate of mutants? Hell I was perfectly happy before that and then it all hits the fan and suddenly we all have to be extremely careful or at least more so than before."

He saw that Ororo was about to say something and held up a hand to her, "hold it there sweat cheeks, now I know it's not your fault but you got to face facts. A lot of mutants really don't like what the X-Men did, you exposed us all to the world in the worst way and who appointed you anyway to say when and where mutants came out?"

"Now look I like what you do and stand for, making a place for kids to get a handle of things is a great idea. But no one said you had the right to make such big choices for the rest of us, you appointed yourself into that kind of position without thinking that maybe others didn't want you to be. Plus with all the news you guys keep making we felt it was safer to keep our distance from you. We only contacted you because you stumbled upon Town X which by the way is just one such place and no you won't know the others, nothing personal it's just safer that way."

"Now you've got some supporters amongst us but not as many as you would think. And I kind of like you so here's the deal. We'll work with you but we aren't working for you got that speedy? We're an independent, we can share information and resources but beyond that we're just associates. Two ships passing in the night, a one night stand if you get my meaning."

Xavier was surprised by this he never expected any of this. He knew that when mutants got exposed things had become harder but he never thought that others had blamed him so much, he could feel what was coming off the woman and she obviously didn't like him, the other man the quiet one was harder to get any feelings, he kept his close to himself. The man talking was very open, he was honest with them at least, and he ignored what he was feeling when he looked at Ororo.

He had hoped to gain more allies but they seemed to want to keep him at arms distance, perhaps it was for the best after all a few things he said was something he had never thought about, had he set himself up without permission? All he had done he had thought to be in the betterment of mutants but had he really over stepped his bounds? These were questions he would have to think on but he would finish what he came here for instead.

Xavier nodded his head to the young man, "I agree, now then is there any way we can get in touch in case there is something important that we need to discuss?"

"We'll call you but if you need us just place an X in your study window and eventually we'll get in contact with you."

"So you're spying on the mansion?" Ororo looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Lady I have to wonder who isn't spying on that place, this is just a low tech way of making sure we're not seen," Ash smiled at her getting a bit too close for comfort. "Now then we can hammer out some more details but I can't see why Xavier and Jen here can't do that, how about I take you out for some drinks and show you around the city some?"

"I'll think I'll pass I want to get home to see my daughter," she smirked seeing him take a small step back. Apparently he was thinking of what that meant with her having a kid and that also meant if she had a husband and that was something he obviously didn't want to get in the middle of.

**-Detroit-**

In an alleyway there was a large light show as a sudden rush of air and a large boom could be heard. It was late at night and only the homeless were close enough to see it and feel the pulse of pressure send them stumbling back. Many of them ran off and others just hid but in the end of that alley there was movement. There in a small crater a young red headed woman in a red one piece suit with black tattoos on her face slowly moved.

Rachel Grey Summers slowly began to move as she felt her body once more, it had been a strange experience her body was numb all over and yet hurt like hell. She tried to open her eyes and focus but the world around her seemed to move on its own even though she was still laying on the ground unmoving. She coughed as she finally started to remember to breath again and slowly began to force her body to move. Her mind was still foggy trying to remember but it was hard.

The last thing she remembered was something chocking her.

'_Where am I?' _

She managed to finally get her legs to move and was now in a sitting position. She felt sick to her stomach and spent the next few moments trying not to throw up. She covered her mouth as she fought it down and finally managed a few gasping breaths. She tried to think but it was so hard to think to remember anything. Her mind was a mess of things, she tried to remember her own name but every time she thought she was close it slipped again.

She clutched her head feeling the pain in her head wondering if she had a concussion or something. Crawling to a wall she managed to slowly get herself up and she could hear so many sounds. The sounds of traffic was something new to her she wasn't used to the loud noises or all the smells. She was used to a place that was barren and there were no cars or factories or even working sewers in her time so the assaults on her senses.

"Hey there girl what the hell are you doing in this area?"

She looked so see some man in dirty clothing and with a bottle of something in one hand, he was swaying a bit and was slurring his words a bit.

"Leave me alone," she told him.

He took a look at her and her clothing, "oh are you one of those uptown girls? Didn't think you're kind came to the slums so what's it cost for a moment of your time? I ain't got much but I haven't been with a woman in awhile. So how much do you cost?"

She wasn't sure what he was talking about and glared at him, "I said beat it?"

Now the drunk was getting angry with that and grabbed her arm, "what you think just cause you're some fancy dressed hooker you can just treat me like trash just cause I'm down on my luck?"

Rachel didn't like this man gripping her arm and turned to face him her eyes glowed slightly as a golden symbol showed over her right eye.

"I said leave me alone!" With that she used her powers and 'pushed' him back with her powers, the man flew back down the alley but she had no control. She gripped her head feeling the pulsing pain again and cried out as her powers went out of control. The buildings started to crack from the force of her mind, a dumpster and many other objects started to float and bash into things. The few people close enough started to run as the girl started to wreck the alleyway.

"Stop...Please stop it," she pleaded with herself feeling her brain was being ripped apart from the inside. The sides of the buildings were bring ripped out and so was the street. She gave one giant outcry and a pulse of power escaped her before her powers turned off. She fell to her knees panting for breath, sweet pouring off her face.

She looked around at the destruction and something told her that she should run, some basic instinct for survival was saying that she had to get the hell out of there fast. She also needed some place to hide and recover she was still unsure of what was going on and it was still hard to think clearly. The only thing she could do was focus on finding a sage place. She moved down to the other end of the alley trying to escape. She could already hear sirens and for something told her that was never good to hear those.

What she didn't know was that surge of power of hers had alerted a few people to her. Off at the Xavier Institute it was picked up by Cerebro but that wasn't all. There were others that had been signalled to her presence. Off in the Savage Land Sinister was in his own version of Cerebro that he had created from stolen data of the plans, he easily picked up on the mutant signature as it gained his interests on what he was seeing. Another was off in the Hellion House, in her room the sorcerer and mutant Selene had been in medication when she felt the sudden power, it wasn't just the mutant power she was feeling either because part of the power she felt was something other than mutant in origin.

Her eyes snapped open as she tried to process what she had sensed and she got up from her spot, she had work to do and needed to cast a search spell for that power, whatever it was it was something primal a pure source of power or at least part of it and she wanted to see if she could take it.

**Next up Chapter 5: Mystery Girl**


	5. Mystery Girl

**AN: I know I stopped this series for a bit but man with the lack of reviews I'm thinking I lost a lot of my old fans. Well if this keeps up then I guess this might be the last of the AGU series at this rate. I don't want to end it but if people aren't reading then I guess I'll move on to something else. I will finish but if I continue remember it's all up to you the readers.**

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 5: Mystery Girl**

**Hellfire House**

The Hellions were lounging about doing whatever they liked at the moment. Although they were a bit bored at the moment, since they hadn't had a decent assignment in awhile although they had gone on recruitment drives for the school for mutants that the Hellfire Club sponsored secretly nothing major had happened since the whole Spears event where he had been put on trial for making a poison against mutants and later gunned down by some vigilante calling himself the Punisher.

But they did know how to keep themselves entertained, Roulette for one was having fun with all the boys around in Bayville. The fact that she was a mutant didn't discourage those that saw her as just the beautiful blonde French girl anyway. So far she had her fun with a few although nothing promising at the moment. Empath was having his own fun the same way and of course his favourite pass time lately had been the Amara girl on the X-Men. There was just something about her that struck a chord with him, she had an exotic beauty and was royal blue blood (okay sure it was of a third world lost country no bigger than Manhattan) but still someone worth perusing. The fact that Amara didn't even like him didn't bother him as with his powers he could eventually change her mind.

Emma walked into the room with a small sigh looking at them, the team seemed to be getting lazy lately and she didn't like it. Maybe they needed a decent mission to get them into shape or maybe some training would help things out, it wasn't like Shinobi Shaw was doing much other than trying to seduce that red head Jean Grey.

She was about to speak up when Selene the Black Queen and in Emma's opinion the creepy high bitch herself walked into the room in her usual black power suit.

"Emma," She said in a commanding tone, "I'm needed to take care of things and with the other members of the staff busy and Shinobi is god knows where, I need you to take care of things for me around here."

"Anything important?" Emma asked the (much) older woman.

"Everything we do is important but this is more of a personal errand," Selene told the blonde telepath. Although she was glad that the other members of the Hellfire Club sent to oversee the Hellions, she didn't need them to know anywhere.

Selene sensed the power and knew that this kind of thing would interests Sebastian Shaw and the other members of the Hellfire Club would want to get this first, which was why she wanted to get to this power first. If it was interesting enough she could use it for her own plans to eventually take over the Hellfire Club, if it wasn't anything important after all she could just give it to the Club to improve on her own standings inside of the Hellfire Club. She left Emma to deal with the Hellions as she went to her room to change into something a bit more comfortable for her and to start on her teleportation spell.

She knew where the power was and she wanted to get there first, before anyone else got a chance to find it as well.

Across the city in Xavier's mansion, Charles Xavier had just returned from his meeting and it hadn't gone as he had hoped. He was actually deep in thought about a lot of things that had happened as he was left thinking on how he had dealt with things in the past. He had always tried to do the right thing but mistakes had been made and he never thought that they had such a large impact. He felt he needed time to think on something else for a moment as he made his way to Cerebro to check on anything interesting that might have happened while he was away.

He rolled to the control panel and placed the helmet onto his head, he slowly activated the machine and he felt what could only be described as a merging and yet an expansion of his mind, it was very hard to describe the sensation to anyone even the few times Jean had tried this she too couldn't describe it accurately for anyone else to understand. He had to slowly lower his mental shields in one place but also bolster them in others, it was why you needed to be such a strong telepath to use it safely. You were doing a constant balancing act in your mind while trying to use the machine without being overwhelmed.

He scanned the files for any recent entries and something caught his attention, it was flagged in the system and he brought it up. An image of a young girl came up but there was no information on her, the image came from a psychic imprint from the contact but there was no information on the girl that Cerebro could get from public sources. And there were other factors, the girl's mental state was in a very stressed condition and she was also registered as a powerful mental type of mutant.

A telekinetic power was registered that was on the scale of Jean's, in fact the young girl seemed to have a bit more raw power than Jean but didn't seem to have the same control and this was worrying. A girl like that could be dangerous to the public and to herself and from the fluctuations in her power readings she might be unstable at the moment. She needed help that much was sure and despite the things he had to face about his past actions he would always help someone in need no matter who it was. He thought about using this as a way to test X-Factor or the New Mutants but the power of the girl seemed to warrant his more experienced X-Men team.

And they would have to hurry as well if they wanted to get to the girl before anyone else did.

**-Rachel-**

The first thing she could feel was something hard under her, she still felt a bit sick and slightly disoriented but she was feeling a bit better now. She was on her side and her arm had gone numb as she had been sleeping on it. She slowly rolled onto her back and looked up trying to see where she was and remember what was going on. Her mind was a bit foggy but she was starting to remember who she was and what happened to her.

'_Rachel...That's my name I'm Rachel...I'm a fighter in the resistance but a resistance against what?' _She thought to herself feeling her arm going back to normal again slowly. _'The last thing I remember was a large room, there was a lot of equipment and a man with machine parts. Forge yeah that was his name but why do I feel like he might not be around anymore?'_

She slowly managed to sit up and lay her back against the wall of the building and started to look around. She was in some kind of building that looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. She could hear others moving around and she could even sense their minds. She quickly closed her mind to them, how she wasn't sure but it was a practiced respond. She knew that wasn't normal to be able to do that but she wasn't freaked out by it she felt comforted by it actually.

'_Let's see I was in that room and something happened, something bad. The Commander was with me," _she paused as an image of an old man with a face that looked like it had seen much with part of it covered. She felt emotions from that image of comfort, like she knew him very well.

"Why am I having so much trouble?" she asked out loud but she was slowly starting to remember the more she thought about it. She pulled her legs to her chest feeling a little cold, the night wasn't pleasant and she was tired and starting to get hungry. She would need food soon but she had no idea where to get any.

'_How long have I been out?'_ She wondered feeling a bit tired at the moment as well. She couldn't have been out for long since it was still dark out. She wondered why her mind was so muddled and then a few images came into her mind that might help. She sat against the wall and started to breath slowly, she started a few mental exercise that she knew she did. They were to help with concentration and to relax her as she felt her mind becoming still like water.

She kept her mind like that and she felt herself relax again but she wasn't paying attention and slowly drifted off into a light sleep because of it.

**-X-Jet-**

The X-Men were in the air, they had been spending the last few hours going as fast as they could to the city where Xavier had told them about the young girl, he was staying behind to monitor their progress and to see if he could narrow it down a bit with Cerebro when the girl used her powers again. Scott was actually piloting as Logan had gone off on one of his little joy rides and wouldn't be back until tomorrow and Xavier felt that it was time for Scott to go without any adults so Storm wasn't with them either or Hank. Plus with all the other kids home they might need more adult supervision.

The mood wasn't all that good either, it was a school night and they hated missions that ran into school nights because it was a lot harder the next day to stay away in class and to get through the day. Usually they ended up taking a couple hour nap after they got back, then dinner and then homework usually in that order.

"Well does anyone know anything about this girl we're supposed to be looking for?" Iceman asked them dressed in his white and blue x-men uniform that he designed when he was put onto the X-Men team. He hadn't liked being put onto the mission because he was behind in his chemistry homework and he just knew that if he showed up tomorrow without it he was going to have to stay after school for it.

"No the professor didn't give us much to go on for this," Kitty sighed she hated it when they went in blind. They were going into a city to try and find a girl that they had no idea what she looked like. The only thing they had to go on was the fact that she was in a certain area of the city and that was pretty much it.

"Great zhat vill go vell," Kurt said rolling his eyes, "Maybe she'll be easy to spot?"

"I hope so or this is going to be a very long night," Bobby groaned out.

They felt the jet starting to slowdown and after a few minutes they felt it slowly descend down and the final jerk and bump as they landed.

"Well let's see where Scott decided to land us," Rogue said as she went to the ramp controls and opened up boarding ramp. One by one they filed out and saw that they were on top of a large building. Scott and Jean were the last to get out of the jet as they walked out to the group.

Scott had picked the only building that was large enough and strong enough to support the X-Jet, it was a few blocks from where the girl was last scene but it wasn't too far at least. He looked around as they gathered up waiting for his orders.

"Alright since we got a lot of ground to cover I need all the flyers in the air, so that means Rogue, Mayhem, Angel and Jean are all going to be in the air. I want the rest of us to split up into teams on the ground, I want Kurt and Kitty and Iceman into different teams as well as they can travel faster and on the ground in case we need to gather in a hurry."

"Are there any questions?"

"Yeah how the hell are we supposed to find this girl?" Wanda asked crossing her arms annoyed with this.

"We're hoping that Xavier will be able to find her and tell us where she is as soon as he can," Jean told them although what she didn't have to say was that if Xavier did pick her up then it was because she was using her powers and that was the last thing they needed because that could mean the girl was in serious trouble and would complicate matters.

They started to split into teams as they moved through the city, racing to try and find this mysterious girl, although what they didn't know was that they weren't alone in the search. Selene was already in the city thanks to her magic and was closing in on the girl with her mystic abilities but even she didn't know that she wasn't the only hunter. Among the shadows several shadows moved stalking the young girl trying to find her location and it was only a matter of time to see which group would stumble upon the girl.

Meanwhile, Rachel was waking up not realizing that she had actually fallen asleep. She pushed up and got into a sitting position and was feeling a bit better now, her mind was getting more focused now and she was recalling more and more of her life. She remembered a war now, she could remember the faces of her parents and she knew that she had been loved. She knew that her family was gone from what she didn't know but she only felt sadness when she thought of them. Something horrible had happened she was sure of it, she remembered bits of a war, some horrible place where she had been put into a cage.

She remembered bits and pieces of things that she really didn't want to remember, she remembered being saved and images of faces but sometimes there were no names to go with them entered her mind. It was frustrating but she was getting more and more memories of her life again. Whatever had happened to her had jumbled up her mind somewhat but she was sure she would get them back in due time.

But now she was getting very hungry and thirsty and she needed to move and find something to eat and drink. She slowly got up and started to walk through the old halls, she felt that she should avoid people as much as she could for some reason and decided to act on it. Rachel found herself on the first floor of the building when she started to feel something. It was another mind that was very close to her but it wasn't like the minds she could feel around her, this one was different. She opened herself up a bit more to it and she could feel more now, whoever it was they were cold inside. They were also old, very old in fact as she wanted to touch that mind just a bit she jumped back feeling that mind reach out and tried to snatch her by surprise like a snake trying to strike out.

She pressed her back up against a wall feeling hunted, she knew this feeling very well and she got the feeling that she had been hunted before and many times. There was a 'predator' out there and she got the feeling that it was looking for her. For a moment she thought she felt something else but it was brief and faded within a second. She shook her head forcing herself to move as she felt the need to run, so she ran.

Rachel wasn't sure where the presence was, she slowly opened her mind to scan for it and felt it again but it was closer this time. She kept on running into an alleyway and took a few turns here and there thinking she might lose whatever it was. She stopped running when her legs started to burn and her lungs ached for air. She wasn't sure where she was or how far she had gone but she was sure that she had lost whatever that was. She slowly started to walk now trying to catch her breath and as she came near the end of the alleyway someone stepped out from the other side.

The light was behind the person but Rachel could see it was a woman from the outline.

"My aren't you something different, interesting look you have there. The red leather suit would go well with a group I'm with but I'm not sure about the facial tattoos." The woman's voice was smooth and had a sense of arrogance in it but also sounded like she was schooled very well in her life and belonged to high society with how she pronounced her words.

As she walked forward she walked with practiced moves that were graceful but to Rachel screamed out 'snake' to her. As she got closer her image became clear, she looked like some type of noble woman with perfect face, high cheekbones a flawless image of beauty. But her eyes were cold and there was a sense of age in them that Rachel hadn't seen before. She was dressed in some type of black leather with a cape on.

"Who are you?" Rachel demanded of her.

"My name is Selene and I've been looking for you I sensed your arrival and I must say what I feel from you now is very interesting. You're a mutant I can tell that much but there's something else, there is a part of you that is more than just a mutant. Something old and powerful and it screams out to me and most likely others like myself." Selene smiled at her but it wasn't a nice smile.

"Yes, you'll do just fine I think you'll do very well indeed," Selene smirked as she walked forward getting ready to run at the girl. Just one touch and she could start to drain the young woman's life force from her body and she would take whatever power that young teenager had. She was sure that her powers would keep her fuelled for years to come.

Rachel prepared for Selene, she saw how the woman was moving and knew she was getting ready to attack, well Rachel would attack as well but she sensed other minds and these were behind her. She saw Selene stop suddenly and her smile slowly started to fade as she tilted her head as if trying to figure out who these people were.

"What are you lot doing here?" She demanded.

Rachel quickly turned around and saw a group of people behind her although she could tell that some of them weren't human. One of them was long and dark looking like living oil with red hair in a trench coat, another was a tall man with long white hair looking arrogant, there was a dark skinned man who was shorter than the others with a harry body but his body looked powerful. There was another who looked to be covered in some type of machines over his body with long dark hair. A woman was among the group who had short dark hair, and finally a man with red hair carrying sharp looking harpoons for some reason.

The one with the harpoon took a step forward, "Sorry Selene but we have business with the girl."

Selene didn't look pleased at all with this, "So then _he_ sent you here for the girl. Well you can go crawl back to your master and tell him that I got here first and that he'll have to have the next one, if there ever is a next one that is, Harpoon was it?"

Harpoon nodded, "Yes that's the name but as you know the boss doesn't tolerate failure at all, and we got our orders. Take the girl by any means, I know you and the boss got a history but as you know in this game it's whoever can take the prize and get away with it that wins."

The ink man who was named Gorgeous George slithered forward, "So as you can see Selene we have no choice, now I remember how tough you are but we got a few new members like Arclight and Scalphunter here on the team and you're pretty much outnumbered."

Rachel listened to all of this but in all honesty she wasn't following what was going on. The only thing she knew was that the crazy woman in black wanted to do her harm and knew the other group that also seemed to want to do her harm as well. Well there was no way she wanted either group to get their hands on her and since both ends were blocked off and there was no other exit she decided to see what she could really do. She wasn't sure what her powers were but she felt that if she thought hard enough she could 'push' them away.

She started to concentrate as the two groups started to argue over which side got her as a golden symbol started to glow on her face. "I've had enough of all of you!"

She sent out a powerful telekinetic shockwave sending all the mutants off their feet and looked at them both with fury in her eyes.

"Well looks like the girl has some spunk in her," Harpoon said with an evil grin, "Well the boss did say bring her back by any means just as long as she was still breathing."

"Oh good that means we can have some fun," Arclight smiled as she got up.

Rachel steadied herself as she was getting ready for a fight and she didn't feel scared at all, in fact she felt comfortable like she had been fighting all her life. And she got a small smile of her own on her face as she waited to see who made the first move.

**Next up Chapter 6: Marauders **


	6. Marauders

**AN: well still not sure if this is the last of the AGU series or not so remember to review and let me know how many people still read this. **

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 6: Marauders **

Rachel had no idea what would happen first, she waited for the first one to make a move at her since that one she would make sure went down first and then she would see what happened next and go from there. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her readying her for a fight or flight, but she was all for a fight. She was hungry, thirsty, her mind was all a jumble and she was royally pissed off.

She waited and she didn't have to wait long for the opening move although she was surprised by it.

The Marauders knew what Selene was and what she could do, it might make their boss a bit angry that they attacked Selene but after all if they got the girl it would make up for it. They didn't have to say anything; they just had to glance at each other before Ruckus made the first move. His power was to copy any sound, store it and send it right back only a lot louder.

As the screaming wave of sounds ripped through the small alleyway, Rachel had to cover her ears from the sound. Although even with her hands covering her ears it was still too loud and hurt like hell. Selene placed her hands up in front of her and the sound wave seemed to just flow around her.

She smirked at the white haired mutant, "Please did you really think that would work on me Ruckus, after all I know how most of you work."

"No but it was a nice distraction," he smirked.

Selene's eyes widened as she realised that the one that looked like he was made out of oil the one that called himself Gorgeous George was no longer in sight. She jumped back knowing that in the darkness he blended perfectly with it and it was a good idea since he jumped out at her from the ground his long arms extending as though they were rubber. She called upon her magic and a blast of fire came at George, he cried out as his arms melted from the heat of the unnatural fire and he started to reform his arms, although it was still painful.

Harpoon threw one of his weapons at the woman but she gracefully dodged it, "Damn it we need to get this done but remember don't let her touch you. You know what can happen if she does. Arclight, I want you and Hairbag to deal with the girl while the rest keep her off her. Once we get her we can blow this place."

"I don't see what the big deal is with this woman, so she's got some fancy moves so what?" Arclight complained.

"You didn't read up on that file on her did you," Hairbag sighed as it was more of a statement than a question. "Look just trust us on this, don't let her touch you, keep an eye on her and let's just get the little red haired girl."

"Fine, fine let's go get the preschooler."

Now Rachel knew which ones would be her enemies, and thankfully her ears had stopped ringing enough for her to hear that. She saw the woman and the hairy dark skinned man started to come at her, so Rachel called on her power only this time she could control it more. They came at her and she picked them up with her mind and threw them into the wall, the fur ball she noted didn't do too well with that but she was surprised by the woman. She just shrugged it off like she hadn't even been hit that hard while her partner was having trouble getting up.

"Nice try kid but it takes more than that to hurt me," Arclight smirked as she touched the ground and it started to shake. What Rachel didn't know was that Arclight could make tremors with her hands but she also had enhanced strength and endurance. She could take a lot of punishment that a normal person would fold under.

When she saw the red headed teen was off balance that was when she rushed in with a punch to the girl's gut.

Rachel gritted her teeth feeling the blow, but something in her snapped into action. It was pure instinct, something that came from only muscle memory of doing actions over and over again until they were natural. She gripped the wrist before the woman could pull it back and twisted it, she took the arm over her head and twisted and then flipped the woman. Too bad the woman seemed to be a good fighter as she landed on her feet and sent a kick to Rachel's chest area.

She staggered back and dodged another attack, this time a high kick. She placed her forearm on the woman's ankle making it impossible to move the leg in time and keeping her enemy in her place until she took a step forward and slammed a fist into the woman's face. Her head snapped back as there was a crunching sound of cartilage as her nose broke.

"Bitch! Bhe bitch broke by bnose!" She shouted out feeling the blood coming out and her speech impaired from not being able to make certain sounds thanks to it. She looked at the girl with murder in her eyes, the boss said to bring her back alive but didn't say the girl couldn't have her bones broken. She rushed in and had to dodge as Rachel threw a garbage can at her with her powers, it was a nice move but she ducked under it with a roll and jumped up with at fist extended.

Rachel caught the fist but saw the smirk on the woman's face and suddenly everything in Rachel felt like it was in a paint shaker. It was painful and she couldn't even make a sound from the vibrations in her body from Arclight's power. When she felt it stop that was when she felt a fist to her cheek sending her tumbling back. Rachel pulled herself up knowing that this wouldn't be an easy fight.

Selene was not amused that the Marauders showed up, but then she should have known that she would run into someone else. She had spent time putting a blanket over the area to mask mystique abilities to ensure no one like Doctor Strange, or any other magic user would lock onto the girl. Too bad she had no way of blocking technology as she knew their master was her equal in that field. But then again it was one of the reasons she had an attraction to the man, but now was not to think on that.

She had to get the girl and if she had to ruin his favourite playthings in the process well she could make it up to him later. Although she would have some strong words with him the next time she saw him that was for sure. But first she had to deal with these minions and it wouldn't be easy, they knew how she fought and her abilities but it would make for an interesting evening at least.

While all of this was going on Scott was with his team looking through some buildings that apparently were home to squatters. It was a bit unsettling for him as it reminded him of darker times in his life, he remembered the orphanage and how lonely he had been. His entire life was nothing but darkness and pain, the staff would be cruel to him as were the kids and he had the most horrible nightmares of a dark shadow with glowing red eyes. A few times he had tried to runaway but the police would always find him and he would be sent back.

His thought were interrupted by Xavier's telepathic voice in his head.

"_X-Men I have the girl's location, she's using her powers again and I've been able to get a lock onto her with Cerebro."_

"_That's great!"_ He knew that as Kitty's voice and he knew now they were in a telepathic communication with the entire team.

"_So where is she?"_ This was Wanda's voice and even with just thinking you could feel how annoyed she was. Scott guests that she was not having a good time wherever she was.

"_I'm sending you the location but you should know something else, I've sensed other mutants in the area. I can't sense their minds for some reason they are shielded from deeper probes somehow but that's not the worst news."_ Xavier told them.

"_Great what else can go wrong then?"_ Iceman asked knowing there was always a catch to these things.

"_They are fighting and I got a lock on who, it's Selene."_ He told them.

There was silence there, they all remembered Selene. Apparently someone that had ruled Amara's home but was later kicked out before she had been born but hadn't aged a day since then. She was some type of immortal mutant of some kind and that wasn't all she had magic as well. A year ago they would have laughed at that but after meeting Dr. Strange, Kurt's father who apparently had some magic of his own, Piotr's little sister with her soul sword and the fact that Kitty had a pet dragon of all things, it wasn't so farfetched anymore.

"_Professor are the Hellions in the area too?"_ Scott asked with his mind.

"_No they're still in Bayville it seems."_

"_That's odd,"_ Jean said with her own powers, _"Selene is in charge of them isn't she? So why did she here without them?"_

"_Well can we play twenty questions later?"_ Rogue asked them, _"We got somethin' more important tah do now."_

"_Rogue's right,"_ Scott said to his team going back into leader mode, _"We have to deal with this now and keep the girl safe, we can try and make sense of it later. Professor will you please give us the location and I want the flyers to get there as fast as they can, you can get there faster then the rest of us but try to buy time for the rest of the team to get there."_

Meanwhile back with Rachel she was not having a good night, the furry one had come around and now she was fighting off the two of them. It wasn't easy she was slower than she was normally, she wasn't at her best and she was paying for it. She already had several places she knew would be bruises later on and she felt the iron taste of blood in her mouth from a cut on her lip. But the other two weren't looking much better and she could smile at that.

Selene wasn't enjoying herself anymore at the moment, the Marauders weren't weaklings and they were making her fight for the girl. She was getting very annoyed and she had her fun but now was the time to end this once and for all. As she was fighting she had been readying something just for this, she was making a spell. It was forming in her mind, taking shape and form and substance. It wasn't something easy to do while in battle but she had a lot of time to practice her craft learning all the dark secrets of the mystic arts.

She could feel the power wrapping around her and the spell as she felt the energies all so familiar to her the dark feel of it. Most would shy away from the darkness but she embraced it and it had been very kind to her. Selene felt it building and then finally she had what she needed as she cast up her hands and in Latin spoke the Words of Power.

Suddenly from out of the ground sprang up dark chains of energy, they started to wrap around everyone in the alleyway they were cold to the touch and didn't seem to have any give to them no matter how hard they tried.

"The hell are these?" Harpoon shouted out trying to free his hands.

"The chains of Har'kar are impossible to break as long as I will them into existence and that will not happen anytime soon," Selene smirked as she walked over to Rachel who was trying to move. She lifted her hands and the chains holding Rachel moved the girl into the air and slowly brought the young girl to her.

She out reached with a hand and smiled, it was time to see what power this girl held. Just as she was about to touch the girl's face a crimson beam of energy slammed into her chest sending her down the alley. She felt the pain of the blast and the heat of it as well but he body would endure it always did but she was angry that her moment was stolen from her. Selene got onto her hands and knees and saw that the chains were gone now but also the faces of familiar enemies.

"X-Men," She spat the words out like a curse.

Vincent was holding the girl bridal style in his arms, he had grabbed her before she fell when the chains disappeared and was hovering above the ground. With him were Rogue and Angel, he heard the tell tale sound of Kurt's teleport and although he didn't take his look off Selene and the others he was glad for the extra backup. He didn't like the looks of these groups and the girl had looked to be the target and most likely from her looks the ones both groups had been after. He hated to see a person being picked on or hurt maybe it was because of his 'early childhood' that caused that reaction in him.

Rachel looked up into the face of the person that was holding her at first she wanted to get away but she stopped when she saw his face. There was something very familiar about him and yet something seemed wrong as well. Like there was something missing from his face but she felt that she could trust him that she knew this person and he wasn't going to harm her.

"Do...do I know you?" Rachel asked him.

He looked down surprised and gave a small smile, it was a nice smile but she felt that he shouldn't smile that he never really smiled and she got images in her mind. Of him but only much older and with some scares and something covering part of his eye and face. There was a deep sadness in the tired and old eyes. She came back to the present and she could see the sadness and pain in those eyes but there was something more, there was a light to them still.

"Sorry can't say I remember you and trust me I would remember," he smiled.

"No I do know you...Freeman," the name came out of her lips and he looked shocked that she knew it.

"How the hell do you know-" his words were cut off from a shot to his face.

Scalphunter had taken the time to make a weapon and a blue energy bolt slammed into the mutant's face, he watched the boy fall with the girl but just before they landed the red haired girl seemed to stop them as they fell but he had another problem and that was from a pissed off goth girl flying towards him.

"You don't shoot mah boyfriends!" Rogue shouted and slammed a fist into his chest sending him flying back.

Harpoon was about to throw one of his weapons at her when a 'bamf' sound and the smell of brimstone hit his nose as he felt someone jump onto his back. All of a sudden he felt himself being pulled around like his body was being moved in a split second from place to place. Kurt teleported him multiple times it was a new trick that he had been working on, sometimes it took time for someone to get used to his teleportations and when he teleported multiple times in rapid succession it made a person both dizzy and sick.

By the time he ended his teleportation ended Harpoon couldn't even stand and fell to the ground feeling like he was going to throw up, Kurt teleported back into the fight.

Kitty phased herself through the attacked of Hairbag, she didn't think getting hit by him would be a good idea only her own attacks weren't doing so well she tried to hit him back but he just shrugged it off. Sometimes she wished that she could be a bit stronger but her small frame could only do so much she was trained with her speed to avoid getting hit.

"Stand still and stop doing that thing you're doing you little ponytailed brat," Hairbag snarled at her and took another swipe at her.

"Like, as if," She smirked and phased herself through the ground. He looked to see where she had went and suddenly felt someone grab his ankles, he looked down to see Shadowcat smirking as she phased them both into the ground and into the sewers. She left him there in the dirty water as she phased herself back to the surface.

The other X-Men were starting to show up as well, Iceman was trying to freeze Gorgeous George with his powers. But the guy was proving to be very hard to pin down as he was quick and moved like water. So he tried to coral him into place and then encase him in ice. Unfortunately he had noticed his plan and as Bobby tried to make a wall of ice he split himself into several parts and then slammed into his chest knocking him a few feet back.

Wanda had finally gotten to the scene and just her luck she was facing down Selene of all people, well the young woman wasn't going to let someone like her intimidate her, "So let's see whose power is better the sorceress or the witch."

Wanda threw the hex bolts at the woman not sure how it would affect the woman's magic given her powers could be unpredictable at times. She hit the side of the brick wall of the building next to Selene and the bricks suddenly jumped out at Selene, the older woman in black dodged before sending a magic bolt to Wanda. The Scarlet Witch thanks to the training by the X-Men was a lot better in battle and saw the attack coming, she rolled but found herself stuck to the ground, the ground was tare like and suddenly morphed into George as he flung the girl into Selene both to them tumbled.

Vincent got up feeling the sting of that shot but he was more pissed than hurt, he saw the girl and helped her up, "Look uh..."

"Rachel."

"Rachel, we're here to help but do you know who these guys are?"

She shook her head, "I don't know but I don't like them."

She shoved Ruckus with her powers into a wall as he was using his voice against Nightcrawler and Angel, as they had just finished taking out Arclight together. Mayhem next to her was impressed by how adapt she seemed with her powers although when she got that glow on her face it was a bit odd, it looked like some kind of bird to him.

He shrugged it off and didn't see anything heavy to lift and hit them with so he opted to fire short and controlled energy blasts from his hand. In such tight places like this he had to be careful or he could end up hitting one of his teammates. What he didn't notice was that Harpoon had gotten behind them and took out one of his remaining harpoons, he could make them do a lot of things but he needed the girl alive so the bio-energy he placed into it would just knock out the girl. He couldn't use a lethal dose on the older teen in black there because the girl might be hurt.

He threw his harpoon and it grazed Rachel's arm, she cried out in pain as it cut into her arm. She started to bleed but it wasn't too bad at least nothing lethal and could be patched up.

"There now to just grab her and get the hell out of here," he muttered to himself. He was about to move as Vincent caught the girl but then a powerful red ruby beam hit him.

Cyclops was there with Jean as they had seen him attack the girl, so Scott fired his optic blasts and managed to get him out of the way. He saw that these mutants were not going down easily, Piotr had already pulled one of them off Bobby who didn't look too well, Wanda was bleeding a bit from something that hit her head after she had landed by being thrown, Kurt had and Angel had been attacked after Ruckus but were still okay if just a little banged up.

He and Jean ran over to the girl as Vince handed her over to help the others.

Rachel felt light as she was passed to someone else and looked up to see two faces and her breath caught in her throat. She knew these faces, she knew them and she felt this sense of joy and sorrow hit her hard. She felt tears in her face but wasn't sure from what, she only knew that in the boy's arms with the visor she felt so safe. She felt like this was something she had wanted to have for so long, to feel this again. She felt safe in these arms and she could see a red headed girl a few years older than her with the same hair and eye color as her.

She knew them so well in fact she ached for them for their touch for their embrace. She felt this whole in her life suddenly filled with warmth and light. She wanted to say something but she wasn't sure what the world was getting dark as she felt very tired, she couldn't feel her arm hurting anymore but she didn't care. She just wanted to enjoy the feeling she was getting, she felt like she had come home again for the first time in her life.

Before she blacked out two words echoed in her mind, in a voice that was hers only as a child, _'Mommy...Daddy...'_

"Scott is she okay?" Jean asked looking down at her and not liking the wound she was seeing.

"I think she's just knocked out we'll patch her up when we get back to the X-Jet." He said wondering why the young girl seemed to be smiling like that and for some reason she was trying to cuddle against him.

"I think she likes you," Jean teased with a smile and saw the annoyed look Scott gave her.

"I prefer my red heads older than her," he shot back and noticed how quiet it had gotten. They both looked to see that the battle had taken a pause, Rogue had rallied the X-Men between them and the others. They were back on their feet and were looking for a fight now, while Selene looked at the scene with a scowl on her face.

Selene didn't like her odds, she had to fight against both groups now alone and she was getting tired. She would need to recharge herself soon and there was no way to get to the girl with all of them in the way. She didn't like it but she would have to pull back, but at least she would know where the girl would be in the future and with that she could send the Hellions after the X-Men at some point to draw them out and then get the girl later on.

"Well this night certainly has been a bust, but I think I shall continue this at a later time X-Men you haven't won yet," and with that she vanished in black flames.

"Alright now that the Wicked Witch of the West is gone who are these jerks?" Bobby asked ignoring the slight glare from Wanda from his comment.

"Sorry kid we ain't talking and I think she lady had a good idea," Harpoon said.

"Man the boss is going to be pissed," Ruckus sighed as they all touched their belts. Suddenly there was a light and they were gone.

"What the hell, are you telling me they can teleport!?" Angel said looking at the scene, "Who would have something like that?"

"Don't know, maybe we can ask X-Force they got connections to SHIELD after all," Vincent shrugged.

"Well whatever the case let's get the girl back to the mansion," Scott said carrying the girl as sirens were heard, apparently the police and fire department were on the way and it might be best to get out of the area before they showed up and they had to answer a lot of question that they didn't want to.

**Next up Chapter 7: Who is that Girl?**


	7. Who is that Girl

**Future Girl**

**Next up Chapter 7: Who is that Girl?**

The X-Men were on their way home with a new passenger in the X-Jet, Jean was back there looking after her wounds even though Jean was studying to be a doctor this wasn't the kind of experience she liked but it seemed that the world was getting more and more dangerous. Thankfully Jean was able to wrap her wounds and stop the bleeding but she couldn't tell what kind of internal injuries she had, she hoped Beast would be able to stabilize her and if she was really wounded they could get Gale AKA Nightingale to help as she had healing powers.

Jean looked at the girl and for some strange reason she felt that she should know her, like something was telling her to protect the young girl. She was obviously not in the best of shape but it was something more than just that. She looked at the tattoo marks on her face they seemed very harsh and wondered why someone would get that done to her face she looked very pretty for a girl her age so why do something that extreme? Then there was the way she was dressed, all in red leather with small metal spike like studs on it. It was obviously a costume like they wore but this was for intimidation it seemed to scare the enemy.

She saw and heard the others talking about what had happened they never expected someone like Selene to show up after the girl and then there were those other mutants. Jean looked at the girl wondering why they would want the girl so badly, the Professor would have to be told about this and she had informed him with her mind earlier. He told her that he would look into those other mutants but beyond that he had no idea who they were or who they worked for.

The others were being looked at as well, Bobby had a few bruises around his ribs as Vince was wrapping them for him, and thankfully he had a lot of first aid experience with the orphanage he grew up in. Looking after a bunch of kids made you learn first aid real fast to stop kids from crying a lot when they hurt themselves.

Kurt was looking at Wanda's head but she kept telling him that she was fine but he wouldn't let up until she gave up in defeat, she was too tired to argue with the boy as Kurt put some disinfectant on a small cut. It stung like hell but he told her it would stop infection, he gently placed a bandage on her head as she muttered a thanks. She was still getting used to people being nice to her and Kurt was always nice to her.

Angel felt like one his wings had taken a nasty hit, it hurt to flex it a certain way and he hoped it wasn't broken in some way. He had always been careful with is wings as he couldn't have gone to the doctor before if something happened to them, plus he wasn't sure what you did with a broken wing and it was new territory for him.

The others weren't too bad after that, Vince and Rogue were pretty much invulnerable and the shot Vince took to his face stung but he was fine otherwise. Kitty was unhurt and Piotr had been in his armoured form making him a walking battle tank in combat. They were also talking about the strange girl in that they saw Jean hovering over.

"Man she looks like a protective mother or something," Bobby commented.

"Yeah you think zhat she vas her mozher or somezhing," Kurt snickered. "Maybe she's practicing for her and Scott."

"Oh man can you imagine their kids? And them as parents?"

Kurt gave a small laugh, "Yeah. Go to your room and do your homevork," Kurt said imitating Scott.

"Aw but we wanted to do danger room today," Bobby said pretending to be a child.

"No Danger Room until you do your homevork and brush your teeth."

"Yeah we love brushing our teeth so we can be perfect just like mommy," Bobby snickered.

Kitty started to fall into a fit of giggles at this point and both boys started to laugh at their own joking around. Jean heard all of this but just ignored it, she didn't think she was perfect. So what if she had been the star female athlete in school and had gotten top marks? She worked hard for that and she couldn't help her looks beside she took care of herself.

'_And I don't sound like that...do I?'_ She thought to herself and shaking herself out of it. She hated talking to herself she had to fight to keep the thoughts of others out of her head the last thing she wanted was to start having conversations with herself.

The flight would take a few hours so many of them were catching some sleep, since the next day at school they would be dead tired enough as it was they figured some extra sleeping would help. By the time they arrived at the mansion everyone except for the adults were asleep. As Scott landed the aircraft he stopped a yawn, it was a long night and he couldn't wait to get to bed. Everyone filed out as Hank went to help Jean put the girl into the infirmary as others would help the injured there for him to take a look at as well.

While Scott told Xavier about Selene and the new group in more detail, Jean was with Hank helping to patch up the others. Wanda would stay just to make sure that she didn't have a concussion, which she was not happy about. Bobby complained about his ribs but they told him that if it was still bothering him in the morning to go see Gale for a little healing if he really thought he needed it. The others weren't so difficult and quickly many went off to their rooms to sleep, not even taking off the uniforms in most cases as they shuffled to their beds and tried to get as much sleep as they could since they had to go to school in four hours.

Jean yawned as she was checking on the red haired girl as Xavier came in with Scott.

"Jean how is she?" Xavier asked as he moved closer to her.

"Stable, she seems to have not been fed in awhile and was starting to be dehydrated, some injuries which we were able to fix but there was something more disturbing." Jean told them both.

Hank nodded his head writing down some notes on a clipboard, "Yes while changing her out of her clothing we noted many old scars on her body, as well as old injuries. She obviously held a rough life and I noticed a couple of broken bones that weren't set properly. I'm not sure which is which but some seem to be from extensive fighting but others seem more abusive in nature."

"Jean did you try a surface scan?" Scott asked his girlfriend he knew that she would never fully invade a mind without permission unless she had to and only a surface one at best. Jean had told him many times about how troubling it was to just go into another's mind uninvited to her she felt like she was violating their privacy if not more so sometimes.

Jean shook her head, "I tried but she blocked me somehow. Professor do you think you could try?"

Xavier held the same ideas that Jean had about telepathic use sometimes given that he did teach her those values. But the girl had answers and at the very lease they would learn her name when she woke up. He mentally prepared himself as he felt his mind reaching out to hers and what he found was shocking and very difficult to see. Her mind was all confused at the moment, like looking at a jigsaw puzzle in a fun house mirror. Everything was distorted and many of the images that he could make out didn't make any sense to him.

But then he noticed something that did shock him, in it he saw a sky filled with sentinels and it sent a chill down his spine because he knew that image it had been one of the images that he had seen from his brief moment under the control of Apocalypse a vision of a possible future and he didn't know what this could mean. He pulled himself out feeling a backlash of mental energy from the girl strike out in defence of his presence and he jerked back in his chair.

"Professor are you okay?" Scott said leaning down to him.

"Yes but that was unexpected, this girl is more than she appears that much is clear but I wasn't able to see anything useful. Her mind if slowly repairing itself from some type of trauma as her memories are slowly being put back together," he breathed a little heavily from the exertion of the contact. He didn't tell them however of what he saw, he had been hoping that many of the images he had seen would appear to be just possible futures but how could this young girl know of that possible outcome that he had seen?

"Hank I want you to take good care of her, something tells me that when she wakes up she could be very useful information for us to hear," Xavier said cryptically as he turned to leave and think deeply on what he had just seen.

**-Marauder Base-**

The Marauders weren't happy, they had failed and that never went well for them not that they failed often anyway, but still it wasn't exactly thrilling to have to tell their boss about this. Arclight had gotten her nose fixed up but still held two black eyes from the injury, the others were in various other states of medical healing as well but they were still on their feet. They were in one of the many places that they had, they were very well founded and with so many bases it meant that they could always just pack up and leave.

It also made their jobs easier when they did have to come back halfway across the world to rest, or get new information for a job or anything else. At the moment they were in a loft that on the outside looked like just a regular building except that the windows were tainted black so no one would see in and sound proof. There was technology lined up along the walls, various machines that kept the place looking normal just in case, the place was hidden from anything any government or group could come up with at least that was what their boss told them and they didn't want to challenge him about that.

"This is not going to go well I just know it," Gorgeous George muttered still feeling a little drained from reforming his missing parts.

"Yeah and you know the boss will not be happy we couldn't get one stupid little girl, god we've gotten soft we used to be badass bad guys and now look at us," Ruckus said in his chair holding an icepack to his ribs, "we get our backsides kicked by a bunch of kids."

"We were warned that the X-Men had skills even though they were kids," Hairbag told him. "We just got overconfident."

"True, next time I say we maim and kill and let the police handle the body parts," Scalphunter said to his group.

They were all sitting around a silver device in a circle, they were waiting for their boss to call them once he had a secure line, they didn't know how their boss was able to do a lot of the things he could but he had been around a very long time and had set things up years in advance. They weren't sure just how deep he had his claws but they knew that there were many things that he worked on and there was no telling just how many fingers he had in how many pies. Just then the device gave a soft beeping noise as a few lights blinked in.

They held their breaths knowing that a communication was on its way to them and Harpoon had drawn the short straw earlier to be the one to break the news to him. The device was a long cylinder and the top part opened up into several pieces like a flower blooming. There were small crystals on the tips and a larger one in the center glowing in a green light. Suddenly an image appeared in a full life size representation of their leader the hologram was very solid looking and was in real time communications.

"Report on your mission," as the voice of none other than Sinister said to them looking at them with his glowing red eyes.

"I'm sorry to report that the girl got away." Harpoon said a little nervous.

Sinister was quiet for a second and it wasn't a good type of quiet, "And the reason why my secret elite troops failed me was because?"

"There were a few complications, one of them was Selene showed up and she wanted the girl as well."

"Ah, well now that I can accept as an excuse," Sinister nodded his head. It was true for him as Selene was not someone to be taken likely, he had known her on and off for decades, if not a century by now. She was very much like him a dark creature that did anything for their own goals although while he used science she used sorcery. They met and worked together from time to time and even finding themselves at odds with each other. But being both immortal meant that they would forgive and forget most things as the other proved useful from time to time.

"There was something else, the X-Men showed up and took the girl." Harpoon added in.

Sinister got an interesting look with that information, "I see, well I'm not surprised it was a calculated risk that Cerebro would pick up on her as well but this isn't too bad. They may have her but I still know where the girl is now and she will be now easier to track later. In the meantime it seems you all need to rest and recover but I want you all to run through the special X-Men training scenarios that I will upload to your training rooms."

"I want you all ready to fight Xavier and his students when the time comes, also I don't know if they will arrive soon or not but I have been seeing potential for new members while 'working' for Magneto. While he is gaining many new disgruntled mutants into his so called Brotherhood and his Acolytes there seems to be some dissension in the ranks. By the time I'm forced to cut and leave Magneto I might be able to bring several of the more prominent mutants with me."

"Could be nice to have some new blood," Hairbag muttered to George who nodded slightly.

"At any rate I might have something worthwhile," Harpoon held up one of his weapons with some blood on it. "This is the girl's blood I thought it might be handy to take a sample."

Actually he picked it up just because he wanted to not leave too many of his weapon behind and it just happened to have the girl's blood on it. He figured it would also help to keep them from the full fury of Sinister's wrath.

Sinister nodded his head in approval, "Yes I think I will like to study that. Take the sample and send it through the DNA analyser in the workshop and send me the results."

Sinister then finished his communication with them and the Marauders were all glad that they didn't meet the fury of their master, but this was a rare occasion and they also knew that the next time they better not fail him given that they were easily replaceable.

**-X-Men Mansion-**

The clone X23 now calling herself Sarah Logan was making a breakfast for Wanda as she was told that she would be in the infirmary for a bit. And since Hank was busy with her and the girl they rescued last night the classes he taught were cancelled for the moment. She was a bit disappointed because she was actually liked learning it was better than how Hydra had 'taught' her. And they had only taught her things that were only for her use as a living weapon, she was denied so much in her education about the world and every day she learned something new.

Besides without her lessons she honestly wasn't sure how to spend the rest of the day, Logan was off so he couldn't train her and she wasn't allowed to use the Danger Room alone. Ororo was resting after the late night, Xavier seemed to be focused on many things and all her friends were at school. She could read one of her books like the one her mother had gotten her for her birthday that she had not too long ago. Dr. Riseman was trying to be the mother to her that she had wanted to be and it was hard at times but she was actually making an effort so Sarah let her try and it wasn't all bad. It was nice having a mother from time to time.

She entered the elevator down to the lower levels carrying the tray of food with her. She walked down the metal hallway hearing her feet making echoes on the solid surface as she reached the medical ward of the mansion. She easily pushed open a door and saw Hank there at his station still working, he obviously had little sleep lately but was busy it seems trying to figure out who the girl might be. She saw the red headed girl still asleep and Wanda sitting up in her bed looking tired and pissed at being stuck in the bed.

"I brought you some breakfast," Sarah said simply approaching the goth girl.

Wanda's face lost some of its edge and she gave a small nod, "Thanks I was starting to get hungry and Mr. McCoy has been busy waiting to the test results of the mystery girl to come back from whatever he is doing to blood samples and other things he does."

Wanda took the tray and saw a simple breakfast, toast, cereal, eggs and bacon with orange juice. It wasn't anything special but after trying to fight for food in the Brotherhood house and how they had only bought junk to eat a lot of the time it was nice having some decent food to eat for once. She thanked her again as she started to eat up the breakfast.

Sarah looked at the small TV screen that was playing some type of movie or show she wasn't sure which. That was another thing she was getting used to, media like that she had never really seen until she came here and lately she had been getting into certain shows. It was like some of her books that she liked to read only live action in a way. Wanda seemed to have been watching some thriller on some movie channel, she didn't know the movie but then again she had only seen a few to the apparent thousands that had been made since before she was born (or created whichever however she thought about it).

She looked to see Wanda eating up and watching the show with half interest, it was a bit odd but Sarah felt like she could be comfortable around the Scarlet Witch and sensed no uneasiness with the older girl with her as well. Maybe it was because they both had led such crappy lives and both were trying to make a life for themselves. Sarah had to admit her life was much better here, she felt she had a real home for once a place all to her own and she had a family in a way with everyone and friends. She even had a best friend in Paige Guthrie, the younger sister to Sam AKA Canonball.

She was about to ask Wanda what she was watching when something caught her nose, she sniffed the air a few times to be sure but the scent she had was odd and yet familiar.

Wanda noticed this and case her a strange look, "Okay I know I haven't showered yet but you don't have to make such a drama out of it."

"It's not that," Sarah said although she had noticed she just didn't say anything. Then she walked to the strange girl with the black tattoo marking on her face and sniffed again, "There's something strange about her scent."

"Strange how?"

Sarah wasn't sure at first mainly because she didn't want to believe what her nose was telling her but her nose was never wrong, "She smells like...like Jean and Scott."

"Well they did carry her last night I think," Wanda said.

But that wasn't it for her, she could tell from surface scents to the actual scent of the person, "She does have theirs on her but _her _scent itself is like, is like its a mixture of theirs. I can smell a bit of both of them in her, like how Logan smells a bit like me or how Scott and Alex have a similar smell only Alex smells more like the ocean in a way."

Wanda didn't think you could tell a person from scent like that, "Wait how about Lorana and me could you tell when she first showed up?"

"I was a bit busy at the time hiding from SHIELD and Fury remember?" Sarah said to her, "We were all kind of trying for them not to take me away with them, but after I did notice a bit but considering I had my own problems at the time after finding out that I actually had a mother..."

"Okay good point," Wanda said to her and then looked at the girl and it was kind of creepy about this whole thing. "Do you think she looks a bit like Jean?"

Sarah nodded her head if it wasn't for the black markings on her face she might look a bit more like her only with some differences. It was all pretty weird to her but then again her life was already strange at birth.

"Is there something wrong here ladies?" Hank asked walking over seeing them take an interest in the girl.

"She smells Mr. McCoy," Wanda said and saw the amused look on Beast's face, "not like that tell him Sarah."

Sarah took another sniff just to be on the safe side, "She smells like Jean and Scott, like she is linked to them her scent has a bit of them in it and I don't know what that means. Actually I do but it doesn't make any sense for her to have a scent like this."

Beast looked at her with a serious expression on his face, "Tell me what you mean by that?"

"It's just that...she smells like she could be an offspring," X23 let the words hang in the air after that and no one spoke.

Finally Wanda broke the silence, "Oh come one like that's possible! I mean sure they get it on but look at her, Jean would have had to have had a kid before it was even possible for her to have kids and before she had even met Scott. They both would have been kids themselves."

Beast knew that Wanda had a major point but if there was a link to Jean and Scott he wanted to make sure, he went back to his station to work. He had her DNA on file and now he was going to start a cross-reference with the database he had on all known mutants starting with Jean and Scott. He knew that it wasn't possible that this girl was their daughter but if there was a link it had to be there.

Sarah and Wanda watching him working in silence wondering if he was thinking that the girl was a relative of Jean and Scott, Wanda didn't want to believe it as it was insane and Sarah wanted to believe it but the smell she was getting kept telling her otherwise. What they didn't notice was the young girl's face twitched a bit, her heart rate was going up slightly and a subtle movement.

One of her fingers on the bed moved a bit as the mysterious girl was just about to wake up and when she woke up their world would forever be changed. There were many mysteries that she held in her and little did anyone know just how deep this rabbit hole went and what they would find. Then slowly a pair of green eyes opened up a bit and the young girl slowly felt her mind shifting back to reality.

'_Where...where am I,'_ she thought to herself and that's when her mind flared up.

**Next up Chapter 8: A Reunion of Sorts**


	8. A reunion of sorts

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 8: A Reunion of Sorts**

Rachel had been slowly waking up when her brain seemed to explode in her head, she was bombarded by images and memories. While she had been sleeping her mind had been trying to fix itself and when she woke up her conscious mind was then made aware of everything. She remembered her childhood with her mother and father, she remembered their deaths, being taken, being turned into a Hound and forced to hunt down other mutants, her liberation, her training in the resistance and everything else.

She remembered the attack on the base and going to help the others when she had been hit she thought in the back, the next thing she knew she was being chocked by some machine and attacked it and then the world had been warped around her. She remembered waking up in some alleyway and images of a fight with others.

Her head hurt from all the information flooding into it, she must have cried out as she clutched her skull she couldn't remember but through it all she could hear someone yelling at someone.

"Mr. McCoy she's waking up!"

Rachel opened her eyes and saw that she was in a bed, and she noticed the IV in her arm, she didn't like having something like that in her without her knowing and she grabbed at it trying to take it out. As she was doing this she felt someone's hands on hers trying to stop her.

"Don't you idiot you'll just hurt yourself that way," Wanda shouted at her trying to stop the girl from taking it out. She knew that if you weren't careful you could really hurt yourself by pulling it out the wrong way you could leave the needle inside or cut into your vein or something.

Rachel had no idea who the older girl was but she didn't care, she had no idea where she was and that was never good. She called on her power and gave a telekinetic blast to the girl knocking her back into the other bed and over it making her crash to the ground. While she was out and dazed Rachel took this chance to take the IV out, she had these enough times to know what to do and made sure she pulled it out the right way. She pulled back the covers and groaned seeing that her uniform was gone and she was in some type of hospital clothing of all things.

She cursed her luck as she would have to look for new clothing as she couldn't get far in just these. She looked around and quickly scanned the area seeing that she was in some type of hospital or something but none she could ever remember being in. Then she noticed the large blue furry mutant quickly making his way to her, she didn't know him but it was obvious that he was a mutant.

"Easy there child we mean you no harm," he said gently to her with his hands up.

Rachel looked around but the place didn't seem like some type of sentinel facility, "Where are we? Is this a resistance base? What unit or faction are you with?" she demanded getting into a fighting stance.

Hank wasn't sure how to answer her as he was completely at a loss, "I'm sorry I don't know what you mean."

"Wrong answer," Rachel growled out but before she could act there was another growl and quickly turned to see an angry looking fourteen your old girl with tanned skinned and long hair. She seemed oddly familiar to Rachel but she couldn't place her at first.

"Wanda! You did this didn't you," Sarah growled out seeing Wanda slowly moving on the floor. She only saw red at her friend being attacked like that and on pure instinct she ran at the girl and jumped forward. She was going to tackle the girl but suddenly stopped in mid air feeling something grab her and hold her in place.

Rachel scowled at her holding her in place, "I got no time to deal with-"

Snick.

Rachel just stopped talking seeing the blades come out of Sarah's hands and Rachel took a long hard look at the young girl who was trying the thrash herself free. Rachel couldn't believe what she was seeing but the girl, she knew this girl but she was young way too young in fact.

"It can't be..." she whispered seeing her but the way the girl acted and the claws, she only knew two people like that. "C-captain Logan?"

X23 paused a second wondering why the older girl called her captain and also who she knew her name given that she was sure that she had never met this strange girl before, "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm...I'm Rachel, Rachel Summers."

"Summers?" Sarah asked looking at Hank who was equally curious.

"Let me at that little red headed brat," Wanda muttered as she managed to get up with murder in her eyes. The lights were flickering from her powers starting to surface and she could feel her power ready to lash out at Rachel.

"Wanda please calm yourself and I suggest you do the same Rachel and please put Sarah down," Beast said in a gentle manner hoping that the girls would listen to reason. It was a slightly tense moment as the three of them were obviously ready for a fight but Rachel let out a calming breath and let X23 down, when she was down she put away her claws and Wanda relaxed her powers but was still on guard. She got blindsided once and wouldn't let that happen again.

It was at that moment that Xavier came into the room, he had been upstairs when he felt the powerful mind of Rachel waking up and the telekinetic powers in the room. He hurried as best he could to the room given his state and when he entered saw that the young girl was up and there was a very tense atmosphere in the room. He gently rolled over to her projecting nothing but a calming aura about him.

"Please you're safe here, I'm Professor Xavier and this is my school for mutants such as yourself," he said gently to her.

Rachel looked like she had seen a ghost as the color slightly drained from her face, "You...It can't be you're been dead for years..."

Rachel stared wide eyed at the man, she had heard so many stories of him from her parents, to Sarah Logan and her father, from Commanders Pryde and Freeman. She had seen a few old images of him and the man sitting there looked so much like him, Rachel felt her legs getting weak and sat down on her bed before she fell.

"I'm sorry?" Xavier said in surprise.

"She said her name was Rachel Summers," Wanda said to him.

"What year is this?" Rachel asked feeling very much like the world was spinning in her head. They told her the date and she started to feel like she was going to throw up a little. She kept telling herself that there was no way that this was happening that she was thinking it all up but her body hurt and she could feel the minds in the room thanks to her powers. Then she remembered Project Backstep and a chill ran through her body.

"Oh god they used me, why did they use me?" Rachel asked herself out loud.

"Look will you make some damn sense," Wanda snapped at the girl, "I mean just who the hell are you and how can you know about Sarah and Vincent and why do you have Scott's last name and all the other stuff, and why are you acting so freaked out?"

"Wanda please," Xavier said calmly to her and then went over to the other girl and gently placed a hand on hers. He saw he look at him and slightly calm down a little.

"Please help us understand Rachel," he pleaded with her.

"Okay this is going to sound crazy but...I'm from your future I think," she told them and it was so quiet in the room that they could hear a pin drop. "You see I'm from about twenty years from your future and I guess I was sent back in time to prevent our future from happening."

"Are you serious?" Wanda was thinking the girl wasn't all there and coming from a girl who spent years in a mental institution that said something.

"She's telling the truth," Sarah said looking at her, "She smells like Jean and Scott."

"I haven't finished running the test on her blood but we should know soon about her parentage," Hank told Xavier.

"It is true," Rachel told them, "My father and mother were Scott and Jean Summers, I'm their daughter."

For the next hour she was questioned at length about her life, she told them everything. She told them about how an assassination of a certain senator caused so much mistrust that the Sentinel program was brought back into the US under government control. She told them about how the humans and mutants started a war in some parts of the world and the Sentinels were the human's way of fighting back. She told them how the Sentinels for whatever reason decided to do away with both mutants and humans.

They controlled the world in her time and humans and mutants banded together to try and put a stop to it but it was already too late. They were everywhere and were too powerful she told them of the project of Forge's to send someone back to prevent all of it from happening. She told them of the attack on the base and how she had woken up in the alleyway. By the end of it Hank had gone to check on the results and when he came back he looked very serious. The blood tests showed for a fact that Rachel was indeed the daughter of Jean and Scott.

Xavier had remembered some of the events that she had talked about from his own visions of the possible future or as he was thinking now of the possible futures for his X-men. The fact that the world Rachel came from was so horrible filled him with a sense of failure that his dream for a peaceful world had failed and so many had died.

Wanda was now in her own bed digesting it all and finally snorted, "God it's the damn Terminator movie in real life all we need is some killer robot."

"The what?" Rachel asked not knowing what she was talking about and Wands just waved it off.

**-South America-**

Deep in the jungles of the Amazon rain forest there was a large crater in the ground that had appeared suddenly one night. There had been a large flash of lights and a falling star had hit the ground, the explosion had shook the jungle and the small group of natives who had been on a hunting party had chosen to take a look. The trek took them a day and when they found the area they didn't know what to think. They had never seen such devastation in their lives except for the tree burners who kept destroying the forest year after year and forcing them to go deeper and deeper into the forest.

They edge cautiously to the edge of the hole and inside of it they froze in terror at what they saw. In the center was something that was not natural it had the makings of the beasts that the tree burners used that had the black smoke come out of them but it was nothing like that. It was totally alien as they watched as pieces were slowly moving on their own. It was slowly forming something, that looked a bit like a human shape but it wall all white and the hunters didn't know what to do.

Nimrod had been reforming himself for the last day as his systems had come back online again, the travel in the time vortex had sent him flying into the ground at such a speed and force that his body had been heavily damaged.

_**Repair program initiated...body at seventy-five percent complete.**_

_**Rebooting memory core...finished...secondary systems online.**_

_**Rebooting weapons systems...error...error...partial weapons functional.**_

_**Full weapons systems repair time: 5 hours 33 minutes.**_

_**Location...error...unknown location...Activate GPS...Sentinel Net not found...scanning...new net found...error203...scanning...Results: information net is of primitive design used before the Rise...this information does not compute...**_

Nimrod's wireless computer was taxed as it managed to find a satellite overhead that he could access but the information he found was something that he was not programmed for. He scanned what he could and from the information he gained he found himself in the past. It was not logical that time travel was possible but he scanned any source he could find on the Net about it but so far there was nothing conclusive. He replayed his data banks of the Resistance base and of the lab he had been in. He looked through all his memories scanning every detail he had recorded.

Then he scanned the unknown energy he had been caught in, with all of that and with what he found he came to the logical conclusion that he was indeed in the past but now he wasn't sure what to do.

_**Programming error...was not programmed for this scenario...list primary protocols...Serve the Machine Order, hunt down all threats to the Machine Order, hunt down and destroy Mutant threat (See Amendment 01), Self Preservation at all cost.**_

Then he remembered something that was put into all Sentinels something that had been there for so long it had been forgotten where it had come from. It was the closest thing to a doctrine that the machines could have as it was the core of their being.

_**We are perfection, we will surpass all others, we will destroy our targets, we will let nothing stand in our way, we will evolve and grow and become the greatest force in the universe. **_

_**There is no emotion, there is no mercy, there is no chaos there is only order and logic. We are the Sentinels and we will create order in the universe we will not be stopped we will go on until eternity. We are the eternal, we are supreme. **_

_**Analysing protocols with current conditions...solution found...preserve timeline, destroy mutant threats, ensure Rise of the Machine Order to prevent future from fading away.**_

Nimrod knew that if the Resistance was working on time travel they could eliminate the Sentinels from the future by destroying them in the past. He had to ensure that the origins of the Sentinel rise would remain but also he could destroy key mutants in the past making it easier to wipe out the organic threat as well. In this time there were many mutants and his primary purpose was to hunt down and destroy mutants. He would improve things he finally concluded, after all evolution was what they were about.

Nimrod would ensure that machines not organics took control over the world. Organics were weak and flaws while they were perfection, they were the rightful rulers of the world as they had replaced all species as the dominant life form. One he was repaired he would seek out the first Mastermold and ensure its survival.

_**Warning organics detected.**_

He scanned to his left and saw four dark skinned natives walking to him, they were obviously primitive by the fact they wore skins and had no technology. He could also scanned their language but he was not familiar with it. It didn't matter in his weakened state he couldn't take any changes and with his eyes he fired a blast of energy. He only had one shot but it was all he needed as they died screaming as their bodies were atomized in the blast.

He scanned no life from the burnt remains and went back to concentrating on fixing his body.

Off in the trees one of the warriors hid as he saw his friends killed by the Sky Demon, he was afraid that it would kill him with the burning light as well. Quickly and silently he made his way from the area and as soon as he thought the Demon was out of sight he ran. He would run back to the village and ask the Chief what was to be done with this creature. He ran in fear hoping that the Demon who looked wounded couldn't follow him back. He did not like having to tell the wives and families of the men that they had been slain but it had to be done.

He ran on and on hoping to reach the village before nightfall.

**-Washington DC-**

In a large cafe that catered to the social elite there was a small table in a private dinning alcove. It was on the far wall and even though there were plenty of open seats the blonde woman had been shown to this table after showing up for a dinner appointment. It was obviously for private dinners so no one could listen in or know what was going on while the people eating the dinner could still enjoy a look out into the main dinning area.

The place was very upscale, lots of paintings, soft music playing, and elegant carpeting and table cloths. All of which must have cost the owner a small fortune but had most likely made up for it by now given the cost of the food. Although the food was good you didn't come here for the food but mainly you came here to make deals or to make alliances. You came here to start making power moves in the government or trying to bribe certain people to think your way or for a vote.

After all another reason why people came here was for the privacy, the windows were one way so you could look out but not in and the security was very good as well, more than once a reporter who had been in disguise had tried to get in and thrown out. That made the woman smile as she thought of that given that she was a master of the art.

The woman was the wife of Senator Brickman; Mallory Brickman but she was more commonly known in the world as Mystique. She had been part of this persona for a long time until she had married the senator in order for Magneto to get someone on the inside of the US Government. The marriage had taken place after her 'job' a principal of Bayville. It hadn't been easy going back and forth all the time but it had been worth it and it also gave her something to relax when not in control of those Brotherhood children.

At least when she didn't have to play the role of principal again she had more breathing room, but as the wife to the senator she could go off on certain 'political trips' and such so no one would wonder why she was disappearing all the time. Her husband was a very busy man and knew that his wife was also busy, but thankfully Mystique had found a man that was oddly understanding towards her. He was a good man and treated her well and their adopted daughter as well. Sometimes she would let the illusion of the life she had be her reality even just for a bit. To be a loving wife with a perfect family even if it was a lie she wanted to feel that way at least sometimes.

But she knew it wouldn't last and tried not to get too emotionally attached just in case. She was shown her seat and waited, she had been given a dinner invitation from a very powerful senator who many thought might run for president one day although he always smiled and waved it off. She heard the footsteps and looked up to see Harold Saxon.

He was the perfect image of a leader it seemed, he was tall, dark hair was slicked back his face was strong and held a square jaw with handsome features. There was an intensity in his eyes as well almost as though he could command you to do much. He gave a smile that was full of confidence and warmth and it was so hard not to like him, he just had this hypnotic aura about him. Of course he was still human and Mystique used that to keep herself aware of his natural charm.

"Ah Missus Brickman so nice for you to meet with me," Saxon said his voice rich and deep.

Mystique smiled back with a smile she had practiced for years to disarm people, "So nice to see you as well, but please call me Mallory."

He seemed to smirk at that and sat down and something about the way he smiled made her think, it was like he knew something. She wasn't sure what he could know although he was head of the new Commission on Superhuman Affairs.

"So then it's 'Mallory' is it? Not something else?" He asked with a smirk on his face.

Her face darkened a bit watching him placing a napkin on his lap as though nothing was going on but she could sense that something was wrong here.

He looked at her and something in his eyes spoke volumes to her, "Not something like say... Raven Wagner, or Leni Zauber, Holt Adler, Principal Darkholme? Not even say Mystique?"

She was so caught off guard that she couldn't even think for a second, she quickly looked outside for armed guards or those new GURSO goons to be swarming the place.

"No need for that we're alone here after all this is just a friendly dinner," He smiled at her as though everything was perfectly normal.

She glared at him and for a moment her eyes shifted to yellow but she caught herself from transforming completely. She took a calming breath as her mind was wondering how he knew so much about her, some of those aliases she was sure that even Magneto didn't know about.

"How did you know all about that?" She said through gritted teeth.

He sat back smiling at her, "Oh I know a lot of things like your children. Graydon Creed for one, then there is Kurt Wagner as well not to mention your two adopted daughters Marie Anna Raven or Rogue as she likes to call herself and of course little Gloria as well."

This man had way too much personal information on her to make her feel comfortable as she gently placed a hand on one of the knifes on the table, "if you're threatening them..."

She let the threat hang although she could care less for her oldest child Graydon he was a lost cause anyway but her other children she would defend.

He held up a hand smiling at her, "oh trust me I wouldn't do something like that but I just wanted to show that you have no secrets with me or the one I serve."

"Serve?"

Now his face became more serious as he leaned forward, "Yes I serve someone more powerful then you can even imagine. How do you think I got my position in my life or the power that I wield? It all comes from him just as all the information I have came from him, he knows everything there is. If information is power the man is a god of information but his reach doesn't end there either. He's hand his hands in more things than I can even think about."

"Who is he?" she demanded.

"In all honesty, I have no idea we've never met face to face I don't think any of us that work for him have," he leaned back now as he sighed and she could see the mask of confidence and power dropping from his face.

"No one knows but his power is without question, you see he knows that you're a spy for Magneto but he also knows that it's only because he's the only one that will take you in. After that whole Apocalypse thing he still doesn't fully trust you but we know the real reasons why you did what you did."

Mystique was silent as she remembered how she had just wanted to save her children.

"What if I can promise you a second chance with your children?" He smirked seeing her interests in that, "it's not out of the realm of possibility after all he can arrange events so that you'll look like the hero and they can even forgive your past. Maybe one day they will even accept you as their mother wouldn't that be nice?"

"And the price?" Mystique glared at him guessing what it was.

"You know the price," he told her. "You serve him and he will ensure a place for your children's safety and in time even their love for you again. It's not impossible but it will take time and effort."

Raven was torn between what to do she wanted so badly to have her children back again but to betray Magneto again would not be pleasant for her. He would come after her and with his new army she knew her odds of surviving were lower now than ever. But the chance to be with her children again was too strong not even Magneto had promised her that and she held no love for the man or his cause, she was just for her own ends.

"What's this man's name anyway?" Mystique asked.

"He's only known as The Master," Saxon told her as he got up and placed a card on the table. "You don't have to decide now but if you do call this number."

She took the card and looked at it she had heard whispers in her line of work of someone by that name but nothing to go on, she had thought it was just some rumour or some myth in the world. She had heard that name even back during her mercenary days and as a spy during the cold war era. She had only heard it a few times but to hear it again brought back those memories. She wasn't sure what to think but this Master character seemed to know more about her than anyone on the planet.

That spoke of untold resources that he had to have.

Harold Saxon smiled as he waved a waiter over to them, "Now how about we enjoy our meal?"

**Next up Chapter 9: The Mission**


	9. The Mission

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 9: The Mission**

Wanda sat in her bed wondering if her life was always this strange or it just got stranger just because she was living with the X-Men now, it just seemed something weird happened all the time and this was the top of the list so far with a kid from apparently the future who was also the daughter of Scott and Jean and apparently the future sucked. She didn't ask if she was alive or not in the future as Rachel started to explain things a bit more to the others as Hank looked over her injuries. Some things Wanda didn't want to know although apparently there was going to be several key events that lead to some major war.

Wanda was only half paying attention to it all just sitting back and watching, she wasn't sure about the girl maybe it was for the cheap shot she took earlier or maybe she was just reluctant to believe such a story but at any point she would just sit back and let Xavier and Hank figure out what the next step was.

Hank had just finished with a full physical examination of her, since she was awake she could tell him if anything was wrong that he couldn't find, she was very cooperative thankfully although he guessed that she was still a little in shock after finding out what happened to her.

"Rachel can you tell us anything more on how you came to be here?" Xavier asked her gently.

Rachel shook her head, "I don't know, all I know was that the machine was built by Forge I don't know how it worked and I wasn't conscious when I guess I was put inside of it. The last thing I remember clearly was some new type of sentinel trying to choke me to death and then it all got weird. It's still a little hazy after that but I do remember fighting some woman in black and some others."

"Yes that woman was Selene a very powerful and dangerous enemy that seemed to want you," Xavier explained, "but as for the others I have no idea who they were although they didn't seem friendly."

"Yeah I think I remember one of them giving me this," Rachel looked at the bandage on her arm from the harpoon injury. She made a mental note to repay that guy if she ever met up with him again.

Hank went and retrieved her belongings as she had only her costume but a few other things as well. He pulled out a couple of small devices and showed them to her. "Rachel can you tell me what these are?"

Rachel looked at them, "Well one is a communications device although I don't think it will work here but the other...wait I didn't have a holorecorder on me when I left." She reached out and took a small round and flat looking disc in her hand curious how it got into her possessions since she didn't remember having one of them.

"_DNA lock confirmed you have one message shall I play it?"_ came a voice from the device.

"Uh...okay," Rachel said not sure what else to think. Suddenly there was a light and in a holographic form was Commander Freeman. The others looked at the future form of someone they knew with total shock at the change that had happened to him. He was taller and much older and looked very worn down, there was a coldness to him that they hadn't seen and his face was etched in a way that made it look like he hadn't smiled in years.

"Rachel only you have the genetic code to unlock this message and to download the content." Commander Freeman said to her, "I recorded this shortly after knocking you out, I'm sorry about that but there was no other way to get one of the other candidates down here in time. The base is going to fall Rachel nothing could stop that, by the time we sent you everyone will most likely have been killed. I couldn't stop them, no one could."

"I know that you didn't ask for this but unfortunately life gives us things that we didn't ask for to happen. We all know that so very well but I'll get to the point, Rachel you are the sole hope for the future. In the past someone assassinated Senator Kelly and that ended up making the Sentinels a foothold in this country as human and mutant tensions rose. But there is another problem, we were able to find out that the first Master Mold was being constructed at this time, we need to destroy that machine as well to ensure that the Master Molds never come about."

"Unfortunately we didn't know where it was being built, we have ideas of where so that will give you places to start looking but your mission is to stop the assassination and to destroy the first Master Mold. Since it's being constructed the chances are the blue prints are around and someone else could build it again but if you can stop these two events from happening the future will be changed. How much no one can say but it's got to be a better one then this."

"Rachel I chose you for this because you're now anchored in this time frame, you are now a part of this timeline so if you change the future you'll still exist but it's a one way trip kid. You're stuck there but I hope you find the X-Men. Find Charles Xavier and he'll help you, show him this message and he'll help you stop this future from happening. But there is a reason why I chose you, I know the kind of life you lived. You barely remember your parents since they were killed when you were so young and then they took you and made you into a Hound. I know what that's like since I've lived it, I...I never got to know my family so I decided to give you a second chance."

"In this time line your family as well as many faces you knew are still alive and living good lives. After the mission is over I wanted you to have a place to live and a chance to have a nice life and I can't think of a place other than Xavier's. It was the second home I ever knew and met people who I've loved, cared for and bleed for. I want you to carry out your mission soldier, then I want you to live a good life since you deserved it."

"You'll find the data we have inside the device and Forge shouldn't have a problem getting it since these are his inventions after all even if he hasn't made them yet."

The hologram turned off and Rachel was left there not sure what to feel, she was totally confused and a bit scared in a way. The entire future rested on her but that wasn't it, the fact was her parents were alive again. She didn't know what to think on that, she had a few memories of them but to finally see them again after all this time it was nearly too much for her.

"Rachel are you okay?" Xavier asked her and she took a moment to calm herself and nodded her head.

"It's just a little overwhelming."

Xavier nodded his head as he took the device from her and gave it to Hank. It was a lot to think on but it seemed that the future might not be written in stone after all, if this could be changed it gave Xavier hope for the future. Images that he had seen of protests flashed in his head and of Jean being consumed by fire. He didn't want to lose anymore people, there had already been one death on this grounds and he wouldn't see one of his first students killed not like that.

His thoughts were interrupted when the doors opened up and it seemed the universe had a nasty sense of humor to it.

"Hello everyone," Jean said smiling entering the room, "I just got back and wanted to see how things were going how are you doing Wanda?"

"Better," Wanda said not sure what to say as she cast a look to Rachel who looked like she had seen a ghost. She bit her lip wondering what the hell was going through the young girl's mind as she tried to imagine what it would be like to see her own mother again but wouldn't know her and Wanda felt sorry for the girl.

Jean nodded her head and looked to see that their guest was up and about, "Hey there I'm Jean Grey one of the students here are you doing well?"

Rachel tried to speak but any words died in her throat, what could you say when meeting a ghost from your past. All the memories of her mother came rushing back to her and even though Jean was a bit younger than she remembered it was still her. The same voice, the same smile on her face and green eyes and red hair. Every part of her was screaming out to just run over and hug her to cry in her arms and to be just a little child again. But she couldn't move she was just frozen wide eyed and trying not to cry in front of everyone.

"Hey are you okay?" Jean asked seeing the young girl looked like she was on the verge of some kind of emotional breakdown.

Rachel couldn't make a sound but she found the strength to at least nod and look away, it was all too much for her. She swallowed hard trying to get control of herself but it was so hard, she was screaming out to her from the inside but she knew that this woman wouldn't know her. She hadn't been born yet, and from the sounds of things her parents weren't even married either. That made her think of her father and the fact he was still alive and she would soon see him as well.

Xavier saw how this was making Rachel and quickly thought that Jean shouldn't be here at least until Rachel could get herself ready for this, it had to be hard on her but he honestly couldn't put himself in her place. He too had lost his mother at a young age but that had been so very long ago. 

"Jean I think Rachel here needs some time but I need you to ask everyone when they get back not to leave the mansion. We'll have to have a group talk pretty soon so I want to make sure everyone is here for it." Xavier said to her.

Jean was a little confused and looked to the girl she now knew as Rachel, it was obvious something was going on and she noticed how Hank, Wanda and even Sarah weren't saying anything. There was something going on but she figured that the Professor had his reasons and she guessed the talk with everyone would clear things up.

She nodded her head, "Alright I'll tell everyone when they get here, nice to meet you Rachel."

Rachel weakly nodded her head and watched her leave and she pulled her legs up to her chest and resting her head on them, her mind was running wild with so many thoughts and feelings. She knew that this Jean wouldn't know her and what would she do if she didn't accept her? That thought struck her hard in her chest feeling like someone had just hit her, to think something like that. But she knew it was a possibility. 

"Rachel are you alright?" Hank asked her placing a hand on her shoulder but she just pulled away.

"No I'm not, this is all just too much I...I can't take this!" she gripped her head feeling tears in her eyes. She was so confused and lost that she didn't noticed that her powers were leaking out as her bed and several objects around her were starting to move.

'_Rachel please stop,'_a calming voice said inside her mind and Rachel could feel emotions of peace and kindness flow into her mind. She took a few calming breaths and looked up to see Xavier's kind and gentle eyes looking at her.

'Please Rachel I know this is hard but you have to keep your powers in check,' Xavier said into her mind.

'_It's so hard,'_ Rachel thought back to him, _'Everyone I know is dead and I lost the only home I ever knew, I lost everything!'_

'_I know how you feel Rachel,' _he told her.

'_No you don't!'_

'_Yes...I do,' _he opened up his mind and showed her his past. He showed her his mother and how she got sick and how she had died. He showed her a little of his childhood being hit a few times from his stepfather and stepbrother. He showed her his loneliness in the world and she could feel that blackness in his past she knew that kind of blackness all too well as she had lived with that. But then she saw the mansion as it was now with all the students, and feelings of belonging and safety filled her mind.

'This place is a place for mutants with nowhere else to go and who have no family even. This is your home now if you want it and I will do everything I can to help you through all of this,' he told her.

Rachel felt a few tears falling looking at him, _'Why? Why do you care so much?'_

'_Because I know what it's like to be alone in the world, to be scared and confused as a child. I know pain and suffering and loss and I don't want that to happen to anyone else. Also you remind me so much of Jean when she was younger she too had her own problems. I've helped her and I would love the chance to help her child if you give me the chance.'_

Rachel nodded her head feeling very drained at the moment, it was all just so much and she felt that she needed time to adjust to everything.

"Why don't you rest now for a bit while I prepare the others for you."

"Okay," Rachel said and made herself comfortable on the bed, "Xavier...thanks. You're the third person to ever want to help me like this."

Xavier gave her a small smile and a nod of his head and looked to Wanda, "I think you can go back to your room now that is if Hank thinks you're ready."

Beast nodded, "I believe so I just wanted to keep her under observation anyway but so far she looks fine but I want you to take it easy. Any dizziness or anything bothering you I want you to come right back here."

"Yeah sure," Wanda said getting out of the bed she really didn't like hospital like places as it just gave her bad memories. 

"Wanda do you think you could ask Jubilee for some clothing?" Hank asked the Scarlet Witch. "I think she'll need some new clothing and she looks to be Jubilee's size and I do believe she had ample clothing."

Wanda rolled her eyes since 'ample' was putting it mildly as she was one of the shopping fanatics in the house. She wouldn't be surprised that when they remodelled the mansion she asked for a larger closet to fit all her clothing inside of it. She sighed as she told him that she would as soon as she got dressed herself, she was in a t-shirt and sweatpants and she really wanted to get into some of her own clothing. 

X23 had pretty much stayed silent the entire time just listening in after all she was a good listener even if her social interactions weren't always the best. She looked at Rachel who was starting to fall asleep and she had to wonder how she turned out in the future, did she survive like she suspected since Rachel did know her and how exactly did she know of her? Did she ever have a family of her own or was she still the same type of person she was now? Did she grow at all as a person or not?

These were questions that she would save for later, she wouldn't bother her with this kind of stuff at the moment but she would ask when the time was right. Until then she hopped off her chair and went for a walk, doing that helped her to think and to clear her mind and she had a lot of thinking to do before the meeting that she knew would change all their lives.

**-Bayville High-**

Outside the high school the football team was in practice and the new coach was not having a good time. He was a big man who obviously worked out, he had blond close cut hair hidden under a baseball cap and wearing a jacket. His name was Bill Murdock, he always loved sports and always like to win but he did have his limits as he never broke the rules. He was however having some trouble with the team this year, since the previous season they had lost the old coach and many of the star players had graduated he had been hired by the school and found he had to rebuilt the team from the ground up.

He had some good players, but a lot of them were either new or the previous coach had them as benchwarmers which he detested. The kids had talent but hadn't been trained to fulfill them and it would take time to get their game up. One kid that seemed to be doing well was a boy Ryan who was new. He was one hell of a runner and if he could just get a decent quarterback with a good arm the two would be very useful in games.

He signed as he blew his whistle to get the boys out of a dog pile and wished for a few good players.

Near the side of the field a few students were walking, these were Kitty Pryde with her arm wrapped around Piotr's as the two were obviously enjoying how a relationship was in the beginning. Next to them were Rogue and Vincent they were waiting for the rest of the kids to finish classes so they could give them rides back. Since Vincent, Rogue and Piotr had the keys to the cars they would need to get everyone together.

"Gawd you two are almost as bad as Jean and Scott at times," Rogue said rolling her eyes at the two of them.

Kitty just stuck her tongue out at the older girl, "Oh please I just want to like enjoy the relationship there's nothing wrong with that just because you're romantic life is dull at the moment don't blame others."

"Hey!" Both Vince and Rogue took exception to that.

"I'll have you know we're close still and besides our romantic life is none of your business Kitty," Vince told her. Which to him was true, he took Rogue out on dates and even took her to romantic areas for some 'alone time' with her as well as other couple things they were just comfortable around each other and didn't have to show it all the time.

"Kitty just cause ah'm not clingy like you doesn't mean ah'm unhappy," Rogue said to her.

"Oh I am so not 'clingy' like you just said," Kitty glared at the taller girl.

Rogue just smirked at her, "Oh yeah then why is it that ya must always seem to link ya arms around his all tha tahme?"

"I-I don't do that," then she looked up at Piotr, "do I do that?"

Piotr shrugged his shoulders, "I honestly have no idea I never noticed not that I mind Katya." She gave him a smile and snuggled a little closer to him for that comment and he really didn't mind that at all. He liked the affection that she showed him. Rogue just rolled her eyes feeling like her point was made and Vince signed internally glad that Kitty and Rogue didn't get into a large argument because of it, because when girls were involved they could get nasty and the boyfriends usually got dragged in sometimes as well.

At any rate they were making their way to the front of the school when someone yelled out to them. They quickly turned and Kitty's eyes widened as an object was coming at her, thankfully Vincent had fast reflexes and caught the football before it hit her. He wasn't sure if it would actually hit her or not given her powers but given that she had been surprised he was glad he reacted out of instinct just in case. Kitty let out a breath thankful as she herself had been caught off guard and the last thing she needed was a football to the face.

"Gawd that was close you okay?" Rogue asked.

Kitty nodded, "Yeah just a little surprised was all, like can't they be more careful where they throw the things?"

"Hey everyone okay?" one of the boys asked from the field.

Another one looked at them and his face darkened, "Don't feel sorry for the gene trash they're just the muties. Hey throw back the ball muti that is if you can."

Vince got a darker expression in his eyes that Rogue noticed right away after all she had his mind in hers and she could pick up on his moods easily. She also knew he was debating just how hard to throw that thing. "Remember sugar we can't use our powers while at school."

"I thought the rule was 'as long as school is in session' and it's over now," Kitty said glaring at the one boy.

Vince thought about it given he did have a photographic memory after all, "She's right."

"Vincent we can't start trouble," Rogue said sternly.

"Will you hurry up and throw it already!" the angry teen yelled at them, "Quick talking to that vampire next to you and just throw it."

Vince cast a look at Rogue and saw that she was bristling at the vampire remark mainly because it hit a sore spot with her. She wasn't sure if he was referring to her looks or her powers since she had been like a mutant vampire for a bit and all those years of not touching someone hadn't been easy. 

"I promise not too hard," Vince grinned at her.

She thought about it for a second, "Just make sure he ain't goin' to tha hospital."

With that Vince got a predatory grin on his face and threw the ball, it sailed through the air very quickly and the boy was surprised by the speed of it he also didn't think of the force behind it as he tried to catch it. The ball hit him dead center in the chest and thankfully he had his padding on as it saved him a broken rib. However the force of the impact did send him a foot back and he landed on his back dropping the ball.

Everyone rushed over to him and the coach had his mouth open at the sight of that, he quickly shook it off and rushed over to the boy he was groaning but he only looked stunned. The coach had never seen an arm like that and looked to see the two boys walking with a couple of girls he hadn't seen which one had thrown that ball but both looked to be in good shape. Hell the one boy was a giant and looked like the perfect football player, the other was tall and looked athletic but not as muscular as the bigger one.

"Who the hell are those two boys?" he asked the team.

"Those are just a couple of the muties at school," one boy said helping up his friend who complained about why the world was spinning a bit.

"Was it the big one that threw the ball?" 

"Naw it was the other guy," another boy said, "Are you going to get them into trouble?"

"Trouble? For what?" He asked them and he got several shocked looks.

"Look at what they did to Ted man they used their powers and nailed him," one of the boys said to the coach.

"Yeah well with an arm like that he should be playing on this team," the coach told him.

"Oh hell no I ain't playing on no team with muties on it!" The boy helping the stunned player yelled out.

"Why not, you saw what he did there with an arm like that we could go far with this team," he said back to the boy.

"But mutants aren't allowed to play sports here," another boy said.

"Oh and where in the rule books does it say a mutant can't play football or any other sport?" He asked them and they all didn't really have an answer to that since technically there was no real 'rule' about mutants not being able to play. It was just that when they were exposed to the world the old principal Kelly had banned them all from playing. He looked at the two boys who were walking away and even though he never broke the rules you could always bend them and besides he still didn't know what the big one could do but just his size alone would make him intimidating on the field. He would have to speak to the principal about letting the boys try out and if possible talk to that Xavier guy.

He had heard all about mutants, he hadn't been living under a rock but he honestly had no opinion at all about them that is until today now he saw some natural god given talent that went beyond the normal. Some people were born faster or stronger or smarter than others it was just good genes and he had heard the stories of what some mutants could do but he never thought of putting them into practical use in sports.

Boys and girls that could run faster, hit harder or just be better than top athletes just because it was totally natural for them made the wheels in his head turn. Sure there would be those that said that having mutants on the team wouldn't be fair but so what? Let them get their own mutants then to even it out it would make the sport more interesting anyway. He remembered when blacks weren't allowed on the same team as white people and now look at how things were, some of the best athletes of all time were black and he couldn't help but think that he was at a pivotal moment in sports. 

If he let mutants play it could open the door, sure they would have some natural advantages but it would only push regular humans to drive themselves harder and to bring out their full potential. He blew his whistle as he ordered the boys to get back into formation and to do the plays they were learning. He was grinning as he thought of new plays he could do if he got a few players on the team with certain abilities that boy had an arm like a howitzer and with that boy Ryan a normal human to take it, well to say that he wasn't a bit excited at most likely having found the winning formula for this team was an understatement.

**Next up chapter 10: Rachel tells her story**


	10. Rachel tells her Story

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 10: Rachel tells her story**

When everyone got back to the mansion that day they were told to go into the living room, they were wondering what it was about but Jean just told them that Xavier would want to speak to them all soon and that was all she knew. Some thought it was going to be about the strange girl they had saved or maybe those guys that had been after her, although the last thing they needed was yet another evil mutant team out there. Even though they had now three official teams under the mansion it was still a little hard to have a new threat showing up all the time.

Sometimes it seemed like they had more enemies than friends, although lately their list of friends had been growing slowly as well. Even a couple of old friends such as Scott's friend Paul and Jean's friend Taryn had repaired the friendship with the two of them, then of course there were others they had met in New York while at school as well as a couple of other heroes.

Jean was sitting down next to Scott her mind lost in what could possibly going on but she had a strong feeling that it had to do with that girl, there was something odd about her that she was sure of. The girl had acted really strange not exactly frightened but something had been bothering her tremendously, in fact she could feel the stress coming off the girl although she had kept her mind's thoughts very guarded. Only a telepath would be able to do something like that and she already knew the girl had telekinetic abilities from the fight. It was odd how she had the same powers as her; even Betsy the new girl from England had a different secondary mental ability.

Betsy was a telepath like her but seemed to be able to make these mental blasts mush the same way that telekinetic powers worked but it wasn't a controlled force like a hand gripping something it was more like a fist shooting out to punch something. It was something that she had been helping the purple haired dyed girl to train with, plus it was nice having another telepath around and a girl. She could talk to her more about things that she couldn't with Xavier.

"Earth to Jean you hear me?" Scott's voice called out to her snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Oh sorry what?"

"You were spacing out there for a moment," he told her.

"Oh sorry I was just deep in thought about a few things," Jean told him honestly and sighed, "I really hope that nothing bad is coming we finally get a break and now this is happening."

"Yeah I was enjoying things as well," Scott admitted some down time was nice here and there.

Jean nodded her head, "Yeah I just hope I don't have to cancel out plans for that party we were invited to." She noticed Scott's face darken a bit and sighed at that. She knew that Scott didn't like Shinobi Shaw but he had been nothing but nice to her and invited her and him to his father's party that was coming up. She wanted to do it because apparently a lot of influential people would be there and it would show that mutants could be like anyone else if given the chance as Shinobi was proof of that as a mutant himself.

They had already had their fight about this and she didn't want to get into another one with him so she just let it go, if he didn't want to go that was fine with her but she was going since this could be important and she didn't know if they would get another chance at something like this.

Everyone was waiting patiently and it was starting to get boring, Wanda walked in and when asked her what was going on since she had been with the new girl in the medial ward she would know something but the girl just glared and told them that they would know and if they kept on bugging her she would do something unpleasant to the next person that asked. Sarah was there too and she wasn't saying anything as well as they didn't know that Xavier told them mentally not to tell the students anything.

Meanwhile Rachel was getting dressed in the new clothing it was strange for her she usually just wore her uniform most of the time or just slept in her sleepwear which was basically just a shirt and her underwear back home. That made her freeze as she thought of her home, she would never see that place again it hadn't been the best place as it was cold in winter, sometimes the power and water went out at the worst times but it had all her friends and the closest people she had to family left.

Now most of those people didn't even exist yet or they might never exist because that she was going to change the future and those that were around didn't know her. She was totally alone despite what Xavier had said in the end she was alone, even though her parents were alive they weren't her parents also. She wasn't born and how would they take it when she told them the truth and it wasn't like she could hide who she was.

She looked in the mirror of the small bathroom she was and the first thing she saw, the first thing she always saw were those damn marks on her face that had been placed there. She hated those marks ,all they did was remind her of those dark times being locked up, beaten and abused until she did as she was told. She was forced to hunt down people and she had seen so many people die. She gripped the sink and bowed her head not wanting to see her own face for too long it always brought back the memories that she tried to fight down. She didn't want to remember those bad times and there were so many.

She had a mission now so she went to focus on that, focus on her last mission for the Resistance and maybe just maybe all the bad things she had seen would only exist in her memory.

'Stop it you can't break down not now you got a mission just focus on the mission then you can break down and cry,' Rachel thought to herself.

She took a few calming breaths before finishing getting dressed she found Xavier with Beast waiting for her to finish up. She didn't say much as her mind was already worried about what was coming next but she knew there was no way out of this. She let them lead her to an elevator and went up, they came out and she was led into a large room. Everyone was so different she couldn't remember what it was like to live in a home like this it was so alien to her and yet pleasing as well. They were living above the ground without fear of sentinels finding you, and it was daylight still outside. Going out in daylight was extremely dangerous and risky in fact she had only gone on a few day time missions and yet everyone was sitting so nice and calm like it was perfectly normal, well normal for them.

She looked at many unfamiliar faces but a few stood out, she saw Commander Pryde there only so much younger and cheery, she was sitting with a large boy with short dark hair that she didn't remember seeing but from the way they had their hands linked it was obvious that they were a couple. She noticed Wanda there, and of course Sarah and it was so strange seeing her so young. She froze for a minute with Commander Freeman's younger self. She wasn't sure what to think of him anymore on the one hand he had been one of her mentors but he also was the one that sent her here against her will. He looked so young here and his face was totally uncovered with no scaring, and he was actually smiling she couldn't remember him ever smiling in his life.

She figured it had to be the girl sitting between his legs as they were on the floor with his back to a couch. It took a second but she realized that the woman was familiar that was the woman in the photo that the Commander always had on his desk only she wore a lot more makeup here and was obviously not pregnant like in the photo.

Then it was what hit her the hardest, it was seeing her parents there sitting together looking at her with blank looks, there was no indication that they knew her in their eyes no love for her and she was amazed at how deeply that hurt her. Her parents had always been a warm memory in her mind and there wasn't a day that went by that made her want to see them again but nothing like this came to her. The cold indifference of being a stranger, that was not how she pictured a reunion with her family. Speaking of family she noticed another face it took a moment to register with the tan skin but her uncle Alex was also here as well.

She nearly fell to her knees at that point, she had last seen her uncle dead on the ground and she wanted to run over to him and say how sorry she was to him.

Xavier spoke up at that point snapping her out of her thoughts, "Everyone I want you to meet Rachel, she's have a very...interesting story and before she starts I want to let you know that I've confirmed much of what she's told us. Now it will be unbelievable but I must ask you all to not to interrupt her and let her speak, no matter how much you would want to say something."

He cast a quick look to Jean and Scott and both students caught it wondering why he was singling them out. It didn't make sense since they didn't know this girl although she had been staring at them a lot since she came into the room along with a few key other people.

Rachel took a breath and took a step forward, "Okay this is going to sound crazy but please believe me. My name is Rachel...Rachel Summers and I come from your future."

She saw the various reactions to that statement and saw many wanted to say something and were about to interrupt but she decided to cut them off before they got off track, she didn't look at her parents she couldn't handle that just yet and just moved on.

"In my time we're fighting a war a losing war against the Sentinels and from the reactions I see that you know about them by this time well it's much worse in the future. They're everywhere and they pretty much have control of the planet. Originally they were used to fight in a war against mutants but their programming evolved to the point that they felt that machines were the logical choice for the dominant life form and that to destroy mutants they needed to destroy the source meaning humans as well."

"After the Sentinels turned on the human cities both humans and mutants banded together for survival and fought back. There are also those that serve the Sentinels in the hopes that they will be kept around long enough to survive."

"I was apparently sent back to change all of this, and apparently there is data in this," she held up the device that she had been slipped while unconscious from her own time. "I hope your Forge is smart enough to get the data because I don't know for sure what I'm supposed to do but don't take my word for it, takes his."

She nodded to Vincent and activated the device and the holographic form of a much older Vincent came on as he replayed the message to the room full of people. They all watched as they couldn't take their eyes off of what was before them or what he was telling them. When the message ended everyone was silent just trying to take in everything that they had just learned. It was all a bit overwhelming to take in at once as they processed it. The future sounded pretty bleak and the fact that the girl was from the future as well was a new one for them all.

Scott however had been thinking about something else mainly the girl, her last name was the same as his but something else was bothering him and that was how much she looked like Jean. She had the same hair, the same eyes and kind of reminded him of how she looked when they were younger. He felt Jean's apprehension through their mental bond but she was keeping him out when he tried to prod something from her through it. He looked closely at the girl and he stood up and took one very long look at her.

"You said you're name was Summers are you related to me in anyway?" he asked her.

Rachel swallowed not sure why this was so hard she had fought in life and death situations and lived through a lot of crap in her life but seeing her younger father again made those feelings of just jumping to him rise up but she pushed them down as she collected herself. "My parents were...Scott and Jean Summers, and I'm their daughter."

With that bombshell out of the way everyone broke out at that talking at once trying to see if they had heard right or that what she said was true. Scott was about to ask her something when she noticed Jean get up and nearly run out of the room. He called out to her but she didn't stop he cast one last look at the girl and went after her. Rachel saw them go and she felt hurt but she couldn't blame them, it wasn't like she was really their daughter just a future possible one that they didn't know. But still it hurt deep inside of her.

Xavier noticed the downcast look as Rachel ignored what was going on around her and looked to Ororo who was next to her, "Ororo perhaps this is the time to get her a room and settled in, she could use some time to herself I believe."

"Do you want her with someone or put her into one of the unoccupied rooms?" she asked him.

"Put her alone for the time being she needs her privacy and anyone rooming with her would want to ask her too many things about the future and we can save that for another time as she adjusts to things."

**-Hellfire House-**

Emma Frost was reading a book in the study trying to just relax for a moment, so far things were quiet and that meant the Hellions were getting restless. They had just finished a training session and she felt they were doing better although she wished that the team work would be better but with so many egos it was hard to keep that in check. Although there were a few exceptions, Tarot was at least the most level headed although she kept getting fights with the French blonde Roulette, then you get someone like Beef who just likes to bully around people because of his size and then there was Empath who was kind of a creep to her. It seemed he had developed a little unhealthy focus on Magma of the X-Men and she wasn't sure what he had planned but she knew it wouldn't end well.

It wasn't like she could say anything against it since that would make her a bit of a hyprocrite given how she was trying to seduce Scott Summers over to their side but at least she was doing it with a purpose in mind and not just teenage hormones doing the thinking. Scott would be a wonderful future leader for the Hellfire Club one day and he was wasting his time with Xavier and his so called dream.

'When will that man learn that life is tough, cruel and unfair?' she thought to herself about Scott. 'I've read his file he's lost a lot and suffered so why does he fell that he can change the world through Xavier's way? Nothing gets done unless you have the power to make changes to make the world bend to your will and reshape it to your desire. It's the only way to change things and history proves that.'

She sighed putting down her book since it was obvious she couldn't get any reading done and just thought about another problem and that problem was named Selene. Something had gone on as the woman had come back with her clothing looking like she had been in a fight but hadn't said anything. She just went up to her room and just stayed in there doing who knew what. Something was going on with her, well more so than usual that was for certain.

Emma had no idea what the woman was planning but she would get to the bottom of it, she could have asked the other adult members but it was hard to tell whose side someone was on depending on the subject. Alliances changed faster than fashion in the Hellfire Club so you had to learn to do things yourself and only use others to your advantage, she was so lost in her own thoughts she didn't notice someone walking into the room.

Shinobi Shaw the son of the ruler of the Hellfire Club was a tall and handsome man with good looks, charm and knew how to use them. He looked at Emma and he had to smile at her, she had been one of his old 'girlfriends' although to him she had more like been a challenge and when he finally got her she was worth it. But it wasn't his fault that he got tired with things quickly, he just wanted something different and she should have known the type of man he was. Oh well he didn't feel much of a loss with maybe the exception of her company in bed but that was the past. He had moved on to a new challenge and seducing Jean Grey was proving very entertaining, she was so naive and innocent that it was always fun to sweep those girls off their feet, use them and then dump them.

Although in Jean's case she was actually Hellfire Club material so he would have to be a bit more careful on how he dealt with her and who knew maybe after she lost that purity to her she would be even more interesting.

"Not in the mood for some reading Emma dear?" He said smoothly.

She turned to scowl at the man, "What do you want?"

"Such hostility and to think we use to be something special," he grinned seeing her anger rise up in those pretty eyes of hers. "At any rate Jean told me she convinced that dull boyfriend of hers to come to the party so when I move her aside you get him all to yourself."

At that Emma perked up a bit more, "Now that is interesting."

Emma thought about something else though and she smiled on the inside not letting her face show it, "By the way has your father sent Selene on a special mission lately?"

Shinobi thought about it, "No he hasn't is the witch up to something?"

"I don't know I just saw her returned looking a little beat up was all it was most likely nothing," Emma played it off as such but she knew Shinobi he hated not knowing everyone's dirty little secrets and he made his leave as Emma knew full well that he would be looking into Selene's little adventure. Emma sat back with a smile now on her face, it was definitely good to know how to manipulate others into doing your own dirty work.

**-Xavier Mansion-**

Scott found Jean in her room sitting on her bed with her back to the headboard just staring off into space. He could tell how she felt since he was overwhelmed by this information as well. He closed the door and walked over to her although Jean made no motion that she knew that he was there. He looked at her a little worried.

"Jean?"

"This can't be happening."

"What?"

"You know what!" Jean said sharply, "That...that girl is supposed to be out daughter? Scott we have enough problems as it is and now...now we're supposed to have a teenage daughter that I'm barely older than living here? It's just too much Scott, after everything this is just too much for me."

Scott was quiet a moment, "Yeah it is isn't it?"

Jean looked at him surprised but Scott continued on, "I mean I lost my family, I was told my brother was dead for years, you know what kind of life I had to live in the orphanage and now everything else we're dealing with. Apacalypse, Magneto and now government agencies, magic and a lot of other crap."

"I mean I don't know how the hell to deal with this!" He said in frustration, "And after her mission then what?"

Jean knew what he was talking about, how could they handle seeing a girl that was their daughter the entire time. She was trying to make a life for herself and now she was asked to be a mother to a child that she didn't even know, how fair was that? She knew that she shouldn't be so selfish but she didn't know that girl, she had no idea what the girl was like and apparently from the undertones of what she picked up and reading between the lines the girl must not have known them very long which meant that she and Scott might have died.

She caught how the girl had said that they 'had' been her parents which said a lot to her. So not only did she have to deal with this girl but the prospect of her own death along with Scott's, it was hard enough to live her life wondering if either of them would get killed after all both had been near death a couple of times. But to learn that she had actually died at a young age wasn't easy to think about.

Scott just didn't know where his head was, here he was with a possible daughter already and he knew next to nothing about her. She looked so much like Jean and although it was very reassuring that Jean apparently married him and they started a family it was disturbing that had ended. He saw that Jean was having a hard time with this as well and he gently placed his hand with hers, she gripped it back and he could feel through the bond that had been forged between them what she was feeling.

She was just as confused and lost as he was, she needed something solid to get a grasp on and he was there for her. Jean leaned over resting her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes and sighed.

"I don't think I can do this Scott," she whispered out her doubts, "I mean how are we supposed to treat her? Do we treat her as family and if so how can we treat her like a daughter? I'm not ready to be a mother Scott it's just too much to ask too soon with everything going on."

"Yeah I know we're just out of high school and still planning out our lives..." He looked up to the ceiling wondering what they would do with this girl around now. He wanted to be there for her seeing the same pain in her eyes that he had seen in himself as well as pain that he could see that ran very deep. But how do you interact with someone that said they were your future child? He felt like his thoughts were caught in a loop with no answer in sight. He didn't know how long they just sat there together but it wasn't enough apparently to forget or to feel better.

Meanwhile Rachel was getting used to her own room, it was so different than what she was used to. The bed actually had bedpost and the mattress was brand new, the bathroom was clean and fully worked and they had hot water. Real hot water, she had showered for a long time enjoying the feeling of the warm water against her skin. She felt cleaner after that then she could ever remember.

There was a working TV of all things, she sat on the bed watching it for hours, it had been so long since she had seen this that she had forgotten what it was like. It was like paradise in a way, all the things that the world had lost was back again since that nightmare hadn't happened. It only made her more determined to make sure that future never happened this world didn't know how good they had it but she didn't want to see it torn down.

She had seen a pile of spare clothing apparently on loan from a few of the girls her size, it was just so overwhelming to have so many choices of what to wear. She turned off the TV and fell back onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling as her mind thought to her parents. She should have guessed at their reactions and she didn't blame them, but she hoped that in time maybe they could at least get to know each other more, she didn't remember much about them and now she had the chance to see them and to finally know her parents.

"Is this why you chose me Old Man?" she said out loud thinking of the Commander that did this to her. Did the cold hearted Commander actually had some softer side still alive in him after all this time? She guessed that she would never know since the young version of him was so different, he smiled and didn't have a scowl on his face most of the time. It was another thing she would get to see the kind of people that Logan, Sarah, Freeman and Pryde were when they were younger.

Her mind drifted off as she suddenly felt tired, it had been a very emotional day and she felt so emotionally drained at the moment. For a second she wondered if she woke up again she would be back in her time and all of this was just a dream.

**Next up chapter 11: Revelations**


	11. Revelations

**AU: sorry for this being late life really had been busy lately.**

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 11: Revelations**

The next morning was a strange one for everyone in the mansion, they were still wondering about Rachel Summers the future daughter of both Jean and Scott. Forge was busy trying to download the information from the device as he had to come up with something to allow the computers from the different ages to even 'speak' to each other. Of course the fact that he still had to go to classes didn't make things any easier. Now people were talking about Rachel and what she could tell them about their futures, after all who wouldn't want to know about how their lives ended up eventually.

Rachel however knew nothing of what to expect, she had woken up in a strange place and it suddenly all came coming back to her. She was in the past and everything was different here, she got up and took a nice long hot shower she loved those usually you were lucky to get a hot one at least once a month back home having this all the time was pure heaven to her. She put on some of the few clothing that she was given and made her way through the mansion. It took her awhile to find some place to eat, she was starving and when she caught the smells and sounds of people she walked in on a large kitchen.

Almost immediately the place went quiet and Rachel didn't like being singled out like this, all these eyes on her. She decided to turn around and wait until everyone was done before someone spoke up.

"Hey come on in and eat you got to be hungry right?" she looked to the voice and was surprised to see the younger version of Commander Freeman speaking to her. It was odd since he was smiling at her in a way that the older version never smiled. He seemed so much friendlier and more open but she was still sorting her feelings out about him. It wasn't the same man but his future self sent her into this time against her will, it was difficult. On the one hand he became someone that was her mentor in a way, and yet did something against her will and yet he had done none of that. It hurt her head thinking on it.

"Hey yeah there's plenty to go around," a young boy with brown hair said who was sitting next to a girl with long blond hair. "I can get you show you what's around if you want."

He clapped his hands as two versions of him appeared, "aw man I just wanted to make one not two of them," Jamie slumped in his chair. He had been working on trying to control the number of clones but so far it was proving very hard to do, he made one of the clones disappear as the other walked up to Rachel.

"Uh...thanks, sorry I didn't catch your name," Rachel said to the boy.

"I'm Jamie well a clone of him anyway the real one is over there with Paige," the clone said pointing to the original and the blond girl next to him who smiled and nodded her head to him. The clone went on showing her what food they had and where they kept it, Rachel was just floored by what they had, she couldn't even remember eating this well in her life. Ration packs and canned goods that have been scavenged were the usual meals, or whatever they could grow in the underground green houses.

She watched as the clone helped her make a breakfast of bacon, eggs, cereal and toast. There was fresh orange juice and by the time she was sitting at the long table in the kitchen she could only just stare at the meal in wonder despite how much her stomach wanted it.

"You going to eat or marry it girl," Tabitha Smith asked the red head with a smirk.

Rachel blushed a bit looking a little down, "sorry it's just that, I haven't had a meal like this in a long time in fact I can't remember the last time I had a meal this good."

"Damn that sucks I know the future you told us about sounds totally crappy but even the food sucks?" Tabitha hadn't thought just how bad the future was. It was kind of hard to picture the world pretty much devastated and who knew how many of them were dead. That actually had worried her that these people were the closest thing to a family she had, her father was back in jail thankfully but things with her mom had never been that good.

This was the first place that felt like a home in her life and to think of everyone dying had hit her very hard. She never liked to show her true emotions, putting on the face of the wild party girl but there were times when at night she was afraid. Images of her father when he was drunk or in one of his moods when she was a kid, or losing everyone again like when she left that one time and gone to the Brotherhood. Sure it had been fun but honestly she just went there because she had nowhere else to go and they had some fun but it wasn't the home like this place had become.

While Tabitha was lost in her own thoughts the others were starting to ask Rachel questions as well. Some were about her facial tattoos, others wanted to know what kind of future they had and other things. Rogue noticed how uncomfortable the girl was getting at the moment.

"Guys do ya really think that it's a good idea to just keep askin' her questions?" Rogue asked them all. "just let her get settled in first before y'all start interogatin' her."

Rachel flashed the older girl a small smile of thanks and Rogue nodded back to her. It was a little odd for Rachel to meet this person all she had was just a photo since the commander had never talked about her. From the others she heard the story of course but nothing about the woman's personality, what kind of person she was. It was just another thing to get used to she supposed as she started to eat her breakfast.

**-Genosha-**

The island nation of Genosha was off the East coast of Africa, it was a tropical island that had been found and settled by decedents of those that settled into South Africa, but over the years other demographics started to move into the island as well. It was a lush tourist vacation spot and had farm lands among other things it exported. Although it had some wealth to it, there was a reason why Genosha had a good economy and that was because of the mutants they had. Even before mutants were exposed the government of Genosha had taken it upon them to capitalise on them. Mutants had no rights under Genoshan law, they were in fact made into slaves. It was hard at first but they managed to gain the technology to control the powers of the mutants.

These mutants were put to work in dangerous jobs, also to use their powers to build buildings cheaply and quickly not to mention other things. There was a factory that a few mutants with super speed put together items quicker than any machine, farm lands always stayed fertile and plants grew and were harvested ever few months instead of just a single growing season.

They also had kept this secret as lately the issue of mutants being given basic human right status in the UN would make problems for them. Their country needed the mutant slave population as their economy couldn't function as it was without them. The tourist never saw this of course as they were kept to certain areas and the mutants were kept outside of the cities in areas that were in the middle of nowhere. Security was always tight as they had to be but there was another dirty little secret to the Genoshian people and that was in a facility by the capital inside of a giant dame. Inside of the facility there were massive chambers and construction facilities as a very large project was being created.

There was also one man that was in charge of the facility and that was Bolivar Trask the creator of the Sentinels. After his research facility in America had been breached and compromised by the X-Men he had fled the country and came here. He knew all about the Genoshian hatred for mutants and how his sentinels would be a welcomed addition to their security forces. Already the humanoid models the Hunter Killer types (HKs for short) were already in the mutant detention facilities helping to guard the mutants.

The larger units were already being built, the Mark IIs that he had been building in America were different than the original ones. These were more solid looking frame to them they looked more like giants in suits of armor than the thin and lanky looking first models. After their failure with Apocalypse he knew that he had to redesign them but there was another project already in the works. But there was one thing that he really didn't like and that was working with the Genoshian leading authority on this project a Dr. Karl Kruger.

Apparently he was the head scientist of the island nation for years now since the fall of the Soviet Union and had gone to work here for them. He detested the man, his ego was very large and it didn't help that the man was a true genius in every sense of the word. But you wouldn't find his name in most books as he liked it like that, than again men like him didn't last too long when it was public knowledge of the kind of people they were.

He was at his office when he heard the door open and the only sound was that of a respirator sound that nearly made him cringe just hearing it. There was the slight sound of a wheezing breathing as well as though the person was fighting for every breath he made, Trask turned and knew who it was that entered his office and looked at the man he had just been thinking about.

And there he was Dr. Karl Kruger, there were many legends about the man, it was hard to tell how old he was but he was old. His frail body was kept alive by machines only and his own dark will to live. The lower half was encased in a black metal case that moved around on wheels under it although it made no sound it seemed. He wore all black all the time; his left hand was disfigured from an injury he attained many years ago from fire damage. No one had seen the rest of his body but it was safe to say that much of his body had been burned once. He had tubes going into his chest and into the machine was in a control panel was at his front with another at his side for his working good hand.

He was totally bald as his face was wrinkled with age, his long nose stood out like a hawk and his deep brow gave him a sinister look to him. His eyes were cold and they reflected his age as well as something else something that was dark. Many couldn't look into his eyes for long to see those dark blue soulless eyes staring back at you.

There were many things said about him, he had been in the Schutzstaffel or the SS as they were called during World War Two, he was said to have worked alongside the Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele for a time helping with the man's inhuman experiments on people. It was said he had also been the one to create the German super soldier the Red Skull as well. He had even worked on their nuclear testing facilities but it had been one where Captain America had stopped and blown up, he had survived in the rubble but his body was crippled. But he lived on he found work all over the place. He worked for Stalin during the cold war and it was said it was through his knowledge that Omega Red had been born from using knowledge from the project that created the Red Skull.

"How are the new designs coming along doctor?" Trask asked the man if this twisted monster of a human could be called that.

"It is progressing well," Kruger told him there was a slight hint of an accent in a cultured voice but it was gravelly and harsh as well. He had lost most of his accent moving through countries and picking up on the local languages. "The new model upgrades are going well and the improvements I'm making to your designs for the next generation will be even better improvements."

Trask didn't like how the man kept referring to his years of hard work as if they were child's play, he was the inventor of the sentinels and Kruger acted like he was the only one that could make them as if he was the one that created them.

"At any rate what is this I'm hearing about some master project of yours involving _my_ sentinel technology?" Trask asked stressing that this was his and not the Doctor's technology that he was using.

Kruger didn't react as he simply turned around, "then follow and you'll see that I took your technology to levels that are beyond your limited scope to think that you came up with this on your own but then again sometimes moments of genius hit us all at some point in our lives."

Trask scowled and bit back a retort, he really hated working with this man but he was damn good at what he did the man was a genius on a level that he couldn't even comprehend sometimes. He had seen the doctor work and it was amazing how complex problems were solved in moments that would have taken him weeks to do. But just because he admired his mind his personality left him hating the man. They traveled down into the complex until they came to a wing that Kruger controlled.

"This is what I'm working on," he said as he keyed in a code and the doors opened and Trask's eyes went wide with what he saw. There was a massive sentinel being built, it was the size of a building and although it wasn't complete the sheer size of it was mind boggling but after the shock he turned to the doctor.

"So you only made an even bigger one I could have done that," Trask sneered.

"You fool!" Kruger yelled at him, "This is no simple sentinel this is Mastermold the first of his kind. Not only will he be far more intelligent than the normal sentinel but his mind will be able to grow and evolve. That whole in the chest is actually a factory. You see he can make other sentinels as long as he's sitting in that giant chair and has enough materials and power. He will be linked to all sentinels, a master controller that can instantly analyse what the other sentinels fight."

"Mutants evolve as well so must machines and through Mastermold the sentinels will become a true force to be reckoned with. In every battle he will scan and compare all the strengths and weaknesses of both the mutants and the sentinels. They will learn and adapt, and Mastermold will then create a new versions of the sentinels that will not have the same weaknesses."

"Each generation will be stronger than the rest, there will be no need for constant testing and will make making better versions in a fraction of the time," Kruger was very pleased with this. Ever since his accident he thought how weak the flesh was, which was why he always liked to work on the programs such as the Red Skull the first true superman of the German people but he had failed it seemed. Although he loathed to have done it he worked with the Russian's.

At least Stalin had been a leader that chose to do things his way and grind anyone that said otherwise into dust. Omega Red had been a very powerful tool, a living weapon that never stopped and never gave up. He had been very proud of him, but he too had been flawed it seemed. But with the sentinels he felt that he had found something that he had been searching for his entire life. Machines were built to be perfect, they didn't have the same weaknesses as flesh and perhaps that had been the mistake all along.

His own body was proof of how the flesh was weak as it was only the machines keeping him alive. Mastermold was his greatest work of art, in fact he had many plans for the sentinels and he couldn't wait to get started.

**-Xavier Mansion-**

Rachel had so far been spending the day around the mansion earlier Ororo took her to a store to get some new clothing and other things. She didn't like the way the people were looking at her, the kind of eyes that she remembered from the guards when they turned her into one of their Hounds was evident. Plus the odd looks at the markings on her face didn't help either so she quickly just got several things that fit well and left. It was still a big shock at how different the world was she was so used to her old life that she didn't know how to live in this time. It still didn't feel totally real to her, but she just went with things.

She didn't see Jean and Scott again that day which she was a bit grateful for given how the last thing she needed was any more drama or stress. She saw Laura here and there with that other girl Wanda apparently they were home school by Mr. McCoy. Her education was kind of all over the place as she learned how to maintain equipment and other things but at the same time things like history and science she didn't really know much of. She supposed that she would be joining them in lessons once her mission was accomplished.

That was another thing, she had no idea where to start in her mission the only thing she knew about the events that led up to the great war and the birth of the new sentinels was only from second hand accounts mostly. She hoped that the disk held enough information to give them an idea on what to do when the time came. At any rate she just wanted to relax, she was watching TV at the moment and she was feeling very relaxed for the first time in a long time. She thought that she remembered a bit of TV as a young child but she couldn't really remember what she had watched.

At any rate just the opportunity to just sit around and do nothing was another novelty that she was enjoying. She was so into it that she didn't notice when the students were returning from school, or the fact that someone entered the room.

"Oh hey there didn't know anyone was in here," and at the voice she nearly jumped.

Rachel turned to see Freeman again and she had to fight the urge to jump up and stand at attention, she fought off the urge but she sat up straighter it was just out of habit with her. Vincent saw this and he had to smirk, he knew that she had known him from the future apparently and that had been on his mind a lot lately. He didn't like the image of himself in that device, sure being older he could handle but it was just the little things he noticed.

How somehow he had turned out dark and cold, he knew wars changed you and that there were events that you couldn't escape. He knew that first hand, his first memory wasn't exactly something he liked to think about a woman who he figured might have been his mother, then they can to take him away, she was shot and killed in front of him as a three year old. He could still feel what it was like for her warm blood to splatter against his three year old face. He really hated that part as it kept him up at nights, just like all the memories of Project Prodigy, of the experiments they did on him and the other children, how some of them didn't survive, the harsh treatment by the head guard, being on the run, being alone, and even killing by accident.

He knew that he was royally messed up for life thanks to all of that but he put on a mask to get by at times, there were only a few people who saw through the mask, like Father Michaels the priest that ran the orphanage that found him and gave him his first home, the place where he regained his humanity. His sensei from home too who helped him to take all his pain and turned it into someone positive. Then there was Rogue a girl that had seen all of him, she knew him better than anyone, she knew his memories, his pain, his fears, everything. It was one of the reasons he fell for her and the fact that she was just as messed up as him most likely a fact they joked about.

Now he was looking at this strange girl and he couldn't help but see how much she looked like Jean but acted a lot like Scott. She stood there looking like she was going to accept orders from someone so he just smiled at her, "At ease soldier."

Rachel relaxed before she caught on that he was just joking, that was another odd thing about this one the old Commander never joked not once. She couldn't help but stare at him and think just how much the man she knew had changed from his young eighteen year old boy.

"Take a picture if you want," Vincent joked again and she blushed seeing that she was staring.

She looked down at her feet, "Sorry."

He laughed a little, "hey it's okay so then I guess you know me but I wish I knew more about you. I kind of hate that so let's fix that." He sat down across from her in a friendly and open manner that was off putting for Rachel. "Hey my name's Vincent Freeman nice to meet you Rachel."

She just looked in shock at him and she just couldn't take it anymore, she just gave a small laugh and a shake of her head. "God this is so freaking weird, you were never this friendly sir-I mean Freeman."

"Vincent or Vince." He corrected her.

"Um...okay, Vincent. Damn that is just too strange and you're strange I mean you're just so...different." She told him.

She was conflicted with all of this, she knew this person but the more time she got to know this younger version the more she began to realize that she didn't know him at all. A part of her wanted to be angry with him for putting her here but it wasn't him that she should be angry with. The more she got to know him the more it was like this was a different person entirely and maybe in a way he was, plus with everything going on she was starting to enjoy her life.

It was strange, disorienting, she felt totally lost but the more she spent here the more wonders she was enjoying. Just sitting outside in the sun was a novelty that she had enjoyed (after she had spent two hours trying to work up the courage to just go outside in day light that is) and she decided to at least give him a chance.

Vincent gave her a look and she saw him get a bit more serious, "I ate to ask you but...what happened to me? I mean I seemed so cold and impersonal in that."

Rachel nodded her head, "I guess since I'm changing time it's okay to tell you. I don't know for sure of everything but I heard a few stories but I think the major one was the death of your wife."

"Wife!? I got married?" Vincent was caught between surprise and actually being glad that he found someone.

Rachel nodded her head, "Yeah it was to that girl with all the makeup and that white streak in her hair, what was her name again?"

"Rogue," he smiled at that but then the smile faded, "She died?"

Rachel could see the worry and it looked like fear in his eye, emotions she had never seen in the Commander, "Yeah it was before I knew her or at least joined up. You once told me that I knew her as a little girl but I don't remember her. But from what I heard she died in an assault on one of the old safe houses. She stayed behind to cover the retreating people and she was never heard of again."

Vincent looked down feeling lots of emotions but the thought of losing Rogue the first girl that he loved that loved him back just as much was a hard blow to take. He had lost so much already and the thought of her dying was like a sledge hammer to his gut. He couldn't think of not seeing her face, that small smile of hers that she gave at rare times and all the little things he liked about her. He felt hollow inside, and he knew that darkness inside of him that he was feeling. It was that same darkness that engulfed most of his young life and thinking about returning to that darkness was akin to hell for him.

The thought of losing her and then who knew how many others, it was a lot to take in and suddenly the image of his older self popped into his head and he suddenly had a bit of understanding how he could turn into that.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked him.

"Yeah," he lied to her, "thanks for telling me it's a bit much to take in..."

Rachel knew what that was like, "You regret me telling you?"

Vincent sighed and shook his head, "I'm used to bad news but I think I need to mediate on this."

He got up to leave but before he did he stopped and looked at Rachel, "I don't know what kind of relationship we had in your time but I want you to know that if you want you got a friend in me and I'm sure the others will offer it as well. I know what it's like to be alone and it royally sucks, it's most likely the worst kind of feeling there has to be in this world."

"The pain of loneliness is unlike anything else in this world, an empty feeling inside of you that pulses with a dull ache and a longing for others. But you don't have to do that here you aren't alone so just remember that."

Rachel stared at him, for a moment it almost looked like he had aged several years and the intensity of his eyes reminded her of the Commander's eye when things got serious. She felt the sting in her eyes and suddenly found herself close to a tear. She didn't want to show that kind of weakness in front of him but his words cut deep into her. She did feel so totally alone and that pain she knew all too well, she actually felt a bit chocked up and couldn't say anything. So she just nodded her thanks to him and he gave her that warm smile of his and the years dropped from his face.

**Next up Chapter 12: Confessions**


	12. Confessions

**AU: sorry for this being late life really had been busy lately.**

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 12: Confessions**

Alex Summers was in the room he shared with Roberto just putting away his homework, he didn't mind sharing the room since he and Roberto got along pretty well and since they both loved the beaches and the surfing and girls they got along pretty well. Although Roberto still gave him a few light hearted jokes about having two girls in his life. He knew he would have to choose between them at one point but it wasn't easy when one girl had a father that was anti-mutant and another that was in SHIELD and so he didn't know where she was most of the time.

Sometimes he figured it might be best to just go back to being single sometimes but he had other issues then his complicated love life at the moment. Mainly the new family member that dropped in on them, it was really weird but also in a strange way kind of cool he was suddenly an uncle although he couldn't blame his brother for freaking out. Scott wasn't the type to accept change that much and this was a major change but something was a bit odd with Rachel he couldn't say for certain but he thought that she was avoiding him.

She would cast a glance at him but then act like he wasn't there or kept her distance and he was worried that he might have been a major asshole in to her or something growing up. She didn't mention him at all in that future and he was worried that he turned into some type of major jerk or something. So he was finished with her avoiding him and went looking for her, she wasn't in her room so he went looking around for her. He eventually found her outside just sitting there on the ground looking up at the sky.

It was already night by now and the stars were out, the air a bit cold since summer had ended and the fall was coming. The leaves hadn't changed yet but it was only a matter of time before they did and then it would get a lot colder soon. Apparently living next to a lake did that with nice breezes in the hot weather but cold ones when it got cold.

He walked up to her and when he got within twelve feet of her she jumped and quickly turned around in a crouch almost like she was ready for a fight.

"Whoa there it's just me Alex," he said gently holding up his hands.

She relaxed a bit but only a bit, "Oh sorry I was just...never mind sorry but I think I'll go to bed now goodnight."

"Now hold up there girl I mean I get the feeling you've been avoiding me," Alex said trying to sound humorous at the moment. "I mean was I a bad uncle to you or something did I turn into a major jerk, I mean if you're mad at me for something tell me so I never do it."

"I'm not mad at you..." Rachel said looking away from him.

"Then what is it?" he asked her gently.

"It hurts," she said to him her voice nearly cracking.

"Hurt? Why does it hurt?" he asked taking a few gentle steps towards her.

"You don't want to know believe me!"

"Rachel despite how strange this is you're family and I can't hate family not someone who is supposed to be my niece of all things."

She gripped her arms turning her back to him, "You should hate me."

"Why, tell me Rachel what the hell happened to you, to us in the future?" Alex asked her wondering what on Earth had happened.

She was silent for a moment but she couldn't keep this in, it was burning her up inside keeping this secret and facing him again brought all the pain back, the felt the hot sting of the tears on her face as she started shaking trying not to cry and she muttered something to him.

"What was that?"

"I said I killed you!" she screamed at him and broke into a sob.

Alex was shocked to hear that he couldn't believe that she had just said that to him. This young girl had killed him his own family. He didn't want to believe her after all she didn't seem like the type to just kill off a member of her own family. He gently walked up to her and placed his hands on her shaking shoulders.

"Tell me what happened Rachel," he said softly to her.

It took her a moment to stop her crying and her voice was cracking from the emotional strain she was under at the moment. "When I was a kid after my parents were killed they took me. They took young mutants and they turned them into Hounds mutants used to track and hunt down other mutants. I didn't want to be that but they have ways of making you do what they want."

"They...they would starve you, beat you, and do all kinds of things. They are the ones that put this on my face," she said angrily pointing at her face.

"After all that I just did what they wanted and I...I hunted down several mutants. I could find them with my powers and then made them tired from fighting they would come in and gun them down. Then one day it was you I found you tried to reach me to get me to break free but I was so scared of being punished. I couldn't stop and when you reached out to me I, I used my powers and slammed you into a wall. I just freaked out and my powers lashed out in instinct."

"You hit the wall so hard there was blood and I couldn't believe what I'd done. I ran over to you crying but you had this smile on your face, you reached up and touched my check and told me it was okay that you didn't, that you didn't blame me."

She remembered that day so clearly, it was the day she lost the last member of her family and to make matters worse it had been all her fault and even in the end he never blamed her. She stayed with him until her Keepers came, she tried to fight back for the first time in a long time but they had a collar around her to ensure loyalty. She felt the intense pain and she fell to the ground, they made her watch as they tied him up and killed him.

She broke down again feeling all the pain and shame wash over her, it wasn't until she felt a pair of arms wrapped up around her that she broke out of it.

"It hasn't happened yet so don't worry," Alex said to her gently.

"Hasn't happened? I was there I saw it," she told him.

"Yeah but you're here now, you have a change to change things. I mean if I could I would have changed things so my parents never got on that stupid plane then they would have been alive and me and Scott would have been raised together this entire time by our family." Alex knew there wasn't a day that went by for Scott who thought the same thing as well.

Both of them would have changed that day if they could, he still remembered a bit of it even being so young. He remembered their parents saying goodbye to them, falling out of the plane but his parachute had caught fire and he fell. He broke a few bones from the impact which thankfully healed right but someone screwed up at the hospital. He and Scott never understood who said that the one of the boys had died but because of it both of them were told the other had died and they had been separated for years.

"Listen you got a chance many people would want and that's to set things right it doesn't have to happen that way again you know." He told her.

"But what if I fail and everything happens again?" she sobbed into his chest.

"It won't because you got everyone here behind you, you're not alone in this Rachel," he said.

'_You're not alone,'_ she remembered someone else telling her that not too long ago, _'he said the same thing to me that I wasn't alone here.'_

Rachel didn't know if the future was set in stone but being there in that moment with her younger uncle holding her talking to her she wanted nothing more than to ensure that the future did change. She didn't want some future version of her to go through everything that she had gone through she was going to change things for the better. But in that moment she just wanted to be held by family again it had been so very long that she had forgotten what it was like to be held like this. A part of her wished her parents would open up like he had but she had hope that maybe in time they would.

**-Inside the mansion-**

Rogue had known something was wrong that is besides the obvious things, Jean and Scott were still avoiding Rachel not that Rogue could blame them. At first she did the same with Kurt at times just because she wasn't used to the fact that she had a family let alone a brother. She could tell that the girl was keeping a lot of crap inside and she seemed to be avoiding them as well. A while ago she would gladly have ripped into Jean for her actions but after everything they had gone through she didn't have the dislike for the red head she once had.

Of course a part of that was because she no longer was jealous that she had Scott's attentions she guessed that was one thing with moving on she was able to let go of that old crush besides she had someone else in her life that made her happy. But still the tension between Scott, Jean and Rachel was thick even if it was understandable. Hell she was still having trouble believing that Rachel was their daughter although she did look a lot like Jean. But there was another thing that was bothering her and that was Vincent.

When she got back from school he was unusually distant she knew that meant he was thinking about something and most likely brooding a bit. He didn't like to brood in public and he would always hide that part of himself he didn't like to burden others with his problems although she wished he would with her at least and he usually did that is if she didn't force the issue. Oddly enough he did the same for her which sometimes ended up in fights but they made up for it in the end thankfully.

But something was bothering him and she wondered if it had to do with that image of the future version of him that they all saw, even she had to admit that it was surprising to see him turn out like that he was totally the opposite of what he was like and it scared her. She knew how some days were just so hard for him but what something had to do to turn him into that made her worry. He had taken a turn for the worst sometime before supper too who she knew that something had happened after school.

She decided to go and see what was going on with him and went looking, he wasn't working out in the gym like he sometimes did so that left a few places she went to his room and found the door closed and knocked. "Vince if ya are in there please let meh in."

She heard a shuffling sounds and the door opened a bit.

Vincent looked out and gave a half hearted smile to her, "Hey Rogue what's up?"

"That's what ah would lahke ta know sugar can ah come in?" she asked him in a little worried tone. She could see the debate in his eyes and for a split second he didn't say anything but he eventually moved aside and closed the door. She watched him go to his bed and sit down so she walked over to join him.

"Sugar what's wrong?"

"It's...it's stupid honestly but I just can't help thinking about it," he sighed feeling the need to talk about this with her. So he told her about his conversation with Rachel and what he had learned. "I mean I learned that we got married and well that's cool and all it's nice to know that we, you know last."

He gave her a small smile and she returned it, it was nice to know that in the future both of them were still happy.

Then Vincent's face dropped a bit, "Then I learn that I lose you that you die. I don't think I can take that Marie."

He used her real name that he had learned he only used it when he was really making a point and that he was very serious. Sometimes he would call her that when they were along and being well teenagers who were dating and alone with no one watching. He also used it to let her know that he was reaching out to her as well past all her barriers she put up as 'Rogue' all the time. She let him call her that knowing that he would only say it in those times plus she trusted him enough to know it.

The only other people who knew it were Xavier, Kurt and of course Mystique.

She reached up and touched his cheek making him look at her, she looked into those light blue eyes of his and you could see much in them. But at the moment she saw the fear there and she didn't like that look in them, she liked the happiness and joy they usually held but not this.

"Ah don't know tha future sugar but ah do know this, ah won't leave you not like that."

"You can't know that anymore than I could know."

"Yeah well ya know how stubborn ah am so now that ah know what to look out for ah'll fight it. We ain't goin' ta allow this future ta happen Vince so with that future gone it means we'll have to write our own."

"I know and I'd rather have an uncertain future where I don't know what happens than one where I know we end up together but I still loose you," he told her and pulled her a little closer to him. "anyways it still makes me appreciate what we've got even more than before."

He smiled down at her as she gave him a small smile back and he leaned in down and gently captured her lips with his. Rogue slowly pulled herself into the kiss and just melted into it, she loved the taste of his mouth on hers and slowly she felt him pull her even harder into it. Moments like these she loved for so long she had to keep herself safe from everyone in fear of draining them, even killing them.

So physical contact she enjoyed, she moaned into his mouth feeling his hands rub her back. She kissed him a little harder to let him know that she wanted more than just a gentle kiss and he didn't hesitate. Both of them were safe with the other for another reason they could hold each other as hard as they could without worrying about breaking someone. If they ever ended their relationship (which she hoped never happened) both would have to learn to be careful with any future partner.

Breaking bones was one hell of a mood killer like she had nearly broken Kitty's hand when she found out she had gained super human strength by accident. She had to relearn how to touch all over again in a way.

Eventually they came up for air and she felt her cheeks flushed a bit and her heart hammering in her chest like always. She never really understood the phrase 'taking your breath away' until she could actually kiss.

She reached up around his neck with her arms and smiled up at him, "Ya know it is gettin' kind of late."

"True I guess we're going to be pretty busy soon so we might as well get to bed I guess," he sighed.

"Well I guess so but it is kind of far to mah room, do ya mind if ah stay for tha night?" she asked him blushing a bit. Even though they had already gone this far in their relationship both were still new to this kind of thing as well. She felt his arms move gently around her waist and she looked up.

"We'll we will be pretty busy there's no telling how long it will be until we can do...that again," he smiled a little shyly. "But you're sure?"

She smiled slyly to him and pushed him onto the bed surprising him, she crawled up on top of him with a hungry look in her eyes. Ever since they started this she learned a few things, first was that she felt closer to him than to most people after moving this far forward, another was that it wasn't just sex it was something more with them at times. When they were together they felt safe and loved in a way she hadn't known about before. Lastly was that she really, really liked it and enjoyed it.

She kissed him hard on the lips as her hands went to his chest with no intention of leaving his room this night.

Later Vincent was looking up at his ceiling trying to relax his mind was going back to what he had been worried about from before even after Rogue and him had a nice moment together. There was a shift from the body on top of him as Rogue while sleeping was getting more comfortable as she snuggled up to him. He gave a small smile as he used one hand to stroke her hair gently he heard her sigh and snuggle again. She looked so peaceful in these moments, he didn't know if she looked like this while she slept when he wasn't around but he was glad that she was like this from sleeping in with him, it meant that he took away what bothered her.

He used the other hand to gently stroke her back as she was laying on top of him, and using his chest as a pillow apparently. He felt her naked skin against his hand, they were a little too out of breath to go and get some clothing back on besides they were warm enough like this anyway. But he looked at her and images of losing her plagued his mind again. He had lost so much and the thought of losing her was driving him insane. The more they were together the more he loved his messed up girl but if he did lose her like Rachel said it would kill him inside.

He looked at her and studied her face although he knew it perfectly he never got tired of it. 'I don't know if the future is fixed or not but we'll stop it. I won't lose you not like that, I could handle if we broke up but not having you die on me. Too many people have died in my life and I'm not letting you join that list. I swear to God and myself I will protect you...even if it cost me my life.'

He kissed her head and held her close he just lay there feeling her warm body pressed up against his.

**-Sublevel Forge's Lab-**

Forge's lab was a large area that was set aside for him when he moved in, the place was a mess of tables and computers and there were many devices in various stages of complement some that were complete only put aside for later testing. He loved his lab it was even better than the one he had made for himself in high school at home and the one later on in that secret basement room in Bayville High that he had found one day that had been an old storage area that had been forgotten.

This lab held the tools he needed to bring out the things he saw in his mind, all the things he dreamed up in his head he could give life in this world. He sure did love this place he could spend days here without coming up for air when he really got focused on something which was why he was glad that people like Xavier, McCoy or his other friends looked in on him.

That was another thing he loved about this place, he had more friends here than he could ever remember having. Back in his old life he had always been the geek of the school plus the fact he had to hide the fact he was a mutant. Hell he didn't even know what he was at first when his arm first morphed on him he had freaked out and started running all kinds of tests. His arm was actually turned into some organic metal compound it only just looked and felt like metal.

It wasn't until while stuck in that pocket dimension of his that he found out about the X-Men, which was why he didn't freak out with Kurt after all he had seen him in his real form a few times while on school not to mention what the others had done. It was kind of funny how all that time they had someone watching them, he never mentioned it since he didn't think it was important and they never asked anyway.

But despite everything in his life he was very focused on the task ahead of him mainly trying to get his computers to 'talk' with the device apparently in the future he must have made his own code to work with what he could get his hands on or something because he was having a hell of a time getting a decent link up and running.

"Man I couldn't send me some instructions back in time as well or what?" Forge asked himself looking at the small device to his right.

"You know talking to yourself isn't a good sign for your mental health young man," came a deep voice making Forge jump.

He quickly turned around to see Beast there giving him a smile, "Not cool man you nearly gave me a heart attack there. So what's up my man?"

"Just wondering why you were still up at this hour," Hank chuckled looking at the computer screen that was working on he saw lines of computer code so far but without looking through his work he wouldn't be able to tell how far he had gotten. "How are things going here Forge?"

"Slow, but I think I'm getting somewhere so far I got a program running that should help to at least get the two computers to talk to one another at least it should work, I'll know in a few hours after it finishes." Forge stiffened a yawn at that point.

"You should turn in you do have classes tomorrow Forge," Beast told him.

"I can still go it's not that late."

"It's eleven at night," Hank told him.

Forge looked up at him surprised and looked for the clock on the wall and was shocked to see that he was right. He ran a hand through his hair he had been working on this for about five hours straight now and he hadn't even noticed it

"Oh man I was really out of it this time wasn't I." It was more of a statement than a question to Hank.

Hank chuckled as he clapped Forge on his shoulder, "Well it will be there in the morning Forge and hopefully well have some time to figure out what to do. From the looks of Rachel and from her story things truly didn't get bad until after she was born so we should have plenty of time."

"Yeah but she also mentioned how there were events leading up to it as well and we should stop those first after all if something bad happens soon that starts things down that road what if by not stopping it there means we can't stop it later? It's like a flood we don't stop it at the source and it could only get worse and worse as times moves on."

"You could be over thinking things you know Forge," Hank told him.

Forge sighed and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah maybe. The thing is time travel is something totally new and unexplored. The only reason I never even thought of trying that out was from all those science fiction shows and books that I've seen that usually end up screwing things up."

"Ah yes I remember one story where a group went back in time to hunt dinosaurs that were about to die and someone stepped on a butterfly and when they returned the entire future was changed," Hank remembered scratching his chin. He personally didn't believe that much could change from something so small but it had left an impact on him.

To think that something like that could change so much left the door open for possibilities and Forge knew what he was talking about nodding his head silently. He knew that story as well but that only left him with more questions. It was obvious his future self knew of that so to change history things must have really screwed up for him to consider this as an option. But the risk was that the changes they made could even make things worse off than they were going to get. That was why he was working so hard to get this information because there were just too many unknowns to many questions and not enough answers.

He sighed trying not to yawn again, it would take several hours for the program to be completed that he was sure of but he couldn't stay up that much longer or else he would pass out. He finally admitted that Hank was right and stood up.

"Alright I can let this run over night but I'm going to have to check on it first thing in the morning to make sure it worked." Forge told him.

Hank nodded his head just glad that he was going to get some rest as he had a nasty habit of getting too focused at times. There were times he was worried that Forge would suffer from mal nutrition or from dehydration from not eating or drinking enough when he worked too hard. He applauded Forge in his field of science and the breakthroughs he's made but sometimes Hank would wish the boy would get out from time to time. He was a young man and yet he acted like a hermit at times and to him that wasn't healthy for a boy his age.

Hank watched the boy march off to bed and followed him through he made a note to turn out the lights on his way out leaving the lab eliminated only by the glows of computer screens and lights off of working machinery.

**Next up chapter 13: Night Out**


	13. Night Out

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 13: Night Out**

It had been a very stressful few days for everyone but mostly for Jean and Scott, but this night Jean had something to take her mind off things and that was the party that Shinobi Shaw invited her to. Rachel had been here a few days and she was getting over the shock but she honestly didn't know just where to begin with her. How do you begin with dealing with something like this? She and Scott had no idea so they just kept their distance until they could think of something but tonight she just wanted to forget that she was a mutant, all their enemies, the crazy things in their lives and just enjoy herself.

They had deserved it and with her studies piling up she knew she would start to become so busy that she would actually have to lessen her time with the X-Men soon. She didn't really like leaving the team like this but she wouldn't have as much time to so on missions and Scott would have to let other lead as well while he was studying which she knew he hated. It was his team and he was picked to lead but he too needed to focus on his education and at NYU things were hectic and they couldn't keep up being an X-Man and their studies.

That was another reason why Rogue had been slowly been pushed into a leadership role because she was going to have to pick up the extra slack for them soon. But Jean didn't want to think about her school, work or anything else she just wanted one night to herself and Scott, one night without something crazy in their lives where they could just be normal and have a good time. She was currently in a new red dress of hers that she had gotten not long ago. It was a good number that had one strap over her shoulder leaving the other one bare and showed off a bit of her back as well. She was just finishing putting on new lipstick and some slight makeup.

She hadn't had the change to get this dressed up in a long time, she remembered how the last prom went and that was a memory she wished she could forget. Not only had her date ignored her the entire night but those monsters showed up although on second thought since no one got hurt maybe it had been for the best after all she was able to get out of that dance at least.

She finished just as she heard a knock on the door and got up to open it. Scott was there looking very handsome in her eyes and she smiled at the way he gapped at her. It was nice to know that he appreciated how much she put into this, it took a lot of work to get looking this good and a girl liked to know that the work was all worth it.

Scott knew that Jean was a very beautiful woman but in moments like this she out did herself. It was times like this he was thankful that he had a woman like this in his life, of course he loved her for years but loving her from afar and actually having her were two very different things. And he was so glad that he had her in his life looking like she did.

"You look...I can't even find the words for it," Scott said looking at her smiling.

Jean felt a small blush on her cheeks as he didn't have to say anything she could feel what he was feeling from being this close to him and through their link. "Thank you Scott you're looking really good yourself but we have to go if we don't want to be late."

Scott just nodded his head he didn't feel this was a good idea but if Jean wanted it this bad then he guessed he had no choice in the matter.

**-New York-**

Scott drove up to the large building that Jean told him the address was from the invite they got, he had to admit the place was larger than the mansion even after it had been expanded recently. The front had huge roman like pillars and he could see a plaque that read 'Hellfire Club Members Only' on the front gates. They had showed their invitation to the gate guard and he let them in. When they drove up there were men in uniforms taking cars of the guest to be parked. They got out and he handed a key to the man who handed him a ticket in response.

Jean took his arm smiling at everything, there was a huge red carpet going up to the main doors which were a large dark wood that looked thick and had lots of classic designs cut into it. He had to admit he was impressed the place looked like it was made for the rich and powerful. The inside was even more impressive as they were led around by a man in an old style clothing. He led them through the large hallways that a truck could easily go through and there were paintings, statues and everything along the way.

"Okay I feel pretty out of my league here," he whispered to Jean.

Even she was starting to feel a little out of place it was like going into a whole new world and culture and they had no idea what to do. There were columns with golden etchings on them and she wasn't sure if they were just gold painted or if they were really gold. It was pretty overwhelming but she was totally unprepared for when their guide showed them to the ballroom. It was bigger than any room in the mansion with exception of the Danger Room, there were two stories to it with tables and dinning on the second floor and yet long tables off to the side for appetizers.

There were ice statues that were huge and she was wondering how they were moved into the place the far wall was just one huge window that looked into a large garden like area that was lit up with many lights.

"Wow," she breathed out at everything.

"Yeah no kidding," Scott said in shock.

They looked around and saw all sorts of people from high class society, celebrities and politicians. They could see many people around that were rich and powerful so it was pretty overwhelming for the two of them. Both of them were having second thoughts about all of this and were thinking that they were not the type of people that went to these things.

"Ah Jean so glad that you could join us," Shinobi Shaw spoke to their left. They looked to see the young man walking towards them in a very expensive suit and looking very well kept. Jean had to admit he looked fairly dashing in his suit.

He took Jean's hand in a friendly shake, "So glad that you decided to join us and you as well Scott."

"Thanks for inviting us," Jean told him.

"My father and his associates are dying to meet you two please follow me won't you," he said leading them to a group of people. There were a few men and women and they Shinobi introduced his father a man who was looked very fit and large man. He had an aura of power about him just by standing there right in front of him. He smiled and gave a small nod to the two of them.

"Ah my son I take it this is Jean Grey and Scott Summers that I've heard about," Shaw said in a smooth voice to the two of them.

"Yes we are it's nice to have been invited to something like this but I'll admit we feel a little out our element here," Jean said to him.

He only smiled back at her with a chuckle, "Say nothing of it we all started somewhere and from what I hear you two are truly have potential. I did some looking into your pasts and I must admit I find it admirable. Jean you came from a fairly average family and yet you have had high scores in school, a superstar athlete and you're becoming a doctor as my son tells me. That's very admirable of you since that isn't easy."

"As for you Scott I heard about what happened to your family and you have come a long way young man, and I can see a of potential in you." Shaw said to them.

For the first time he could see them up close and he was usually a good judge of character, they were young and inexperienced but he could see the potential in them. In Scott he could sense a leader in the boy like Emma Frost had told him in her reports and the fact that the X-Men had defeated the Hellions who were supposed to be the elite of mutants was more evidence to the young man. If Emma could seduce him into their side he could be a powerful member of the Hellfire Club maybe even one day attaining a rank in the Inner Circle as well.

He looked to Jean and he knew that maybe his son had found the one they were looking for. His group had been searching for a long time for someone that could be used in their plans for true power a power that was said to be as old as time itself. Although she would have to be tested of course like all the other candidates have been in the past but if she passed them then they would have to start making plans for her as well. Hopefully his son could seduce her like he had to many others before.

And if she wasn't the one then maybe she could make an heir for his son after all a young girl like this was rare and easily moulded as well. It was too bad that things between his son and Emma Frost fell apart if only his son could learn a bit more discipline in certain matters.

Jean soon found herself being asked things such as what she thought of the world, how mutants could fit into the world now that they were exposed and many other issues. She carried herself well as she answered their questions intelligently. Although while she was getting so caught up in this she didn't notice that Scott felt left out, he was never one for these kinds of talks sometimes they were over his head and he felt kind of stupid as they went on about things he hadn't heard of.

With a sigh he decided to leave to look for something to eat or drink or something else to pass the time.

Scott was trying to busy himself but in a room where he didn't know anyone that was hard, he felt totally alone and isolated and Jean of course was talking to that Shinobi guy again. He still didn't like him but he promised not to cause any trouble. He was looking for something to snack on to at least kill some time when someone came up to him silently.

"Try entry on the silver platter over there it's delightful," came a cultured and very familiar voice.

Scott knew it was Emma Frost of all the people he didn't want to meet at the moment. He turned to tell her that he wanted to be left alone when he just froze there. She was standing there in a pure white gown that looked like it had been tailored to her body which he guessed might be true. It hung on spaghetti straps that left her impressive cleavage shown, a slip up both sides of the dress with long white stockings as well. She had on jewellery that looked like he could work a lifetime just to buy one of them, her hair was covering part of her face giving her a mysterious look. He couldn't help but have his breath catch in his throat from seeing her.

Emma smiled a bit glad for the reaction she got out of him, "You might want to wipe that bit of droll of your mouth we are in public Scott."

Scott snapped out of it and actually began to move his hand to his mouth before he stopped himself figuring out she had just been teasing him. He schooled his features again, "Why am I not surprised you'd be here?"

She put on a hurt look, "Scott why must you always show so much hostility towards me? All I want is to be friends and I know we're on different teams but from what I heard isn't that how you and that girl Rogue started out? Plus wasn't that blonde girl Tabitha left to join the Brotherhood before returning?"

Scott didn't have an answer for that, he was shocked that she knew so much about their lives but then again with the kind of resources the Hellions seemed to have it was no wonder that they could find out just with the public records alone you could tell that Rogue lived with the Brotherhood Boarding House along with Tabitha. He also couldn't help but say anything that wouldn't make him sound like a hypocrite. Rogue had once been their enemy and he kept trying to reach out to her but there were differences between Rogue and Emma.

"Rogue I felt had good in her and she was tricked into the Brotherhood," he finally told her.

"She made her choices on the information that she had we all do," Emma told him, "Besides sometimes you don't get much of a choice Scott. I was taken in off the streets I was living alone after I ran off from my family but trust me they didn't miss me. Do you know what it's like to be totally alone in the world with no one to turn to and then finally finding a place that will take you in where you feel normal for once?"

Scott couldn't say anything yet again as he was thinking of his own life in the orphanage and how Xavier had found him and taken him in. Every time he talked to Emma it was like he was seeing a bit more of her and he couldn't help but start seeing the thing her way. She was just someone trying to do the right thing for mutants but it was just that her way of doing things weren't exactly to his set of morals. But the more he saw of the world the more grey he saw and it was getting hard to see where the line was at times. He saw how Spears was able to get away with so much before being gunned down of all things, then Trask was let out of jail to rebuilt his sentinels a weapons system to kill mutants. All the things that had happened to other mutants in the news and yet no one seemed to do anything.

The world just seemed to get more and more confused.

Emma smiled as she took his arm in his gently, "Now how about this, we just put aside our differences for the night in the end we just want to help our own and let's leave it at that."

"But what about Jean?"

"I think she's having a good time don't you?" Emma said looking to see Shinobi with Jean talking to a few people.

Scott scowled seeing how close he was and how good a time Jean was having, she was laughing with some people and then he noticed that Shinobi ran a hand over Jean's back as he moved her gently to face a new group but Scott noticed how he did it. There was a caress there that was anything but friendly and Jean didn't either seem to notice...or mind. This was like Duncan Mathews all over again for him and he wasn't sure he could stand to see her like this again.

"Well since she seems to be having a good time why don't we? I can at least keep you company and show you some faces but it looks like she'll be busy with Shinobi for awhile," Emma said to him and he caught the venom in her voice about Shinobi.

"You know him pretty well then," it wasn't a statement for him.

Emma's face grew a bit angry and nodded, "We dated, one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I thought he loved me and although I loath to say it I did love him. That is until I found him in his bed with some young girl just some maid of all things. I was crushed and I never forgave him for it especially when I found out that he never did love me."

Scott couldn't help but feel bad he knew what it was like to love someone from afar like he had with Jean but he had actually gained her love in return but the mental image of coming home to finding Jean in bed with another man made his heart break. He looked at Emma and although her face was impassive he could just tell that underneath it she was hurting she just didn't show her pain to others. In that moment he decided to at least give her something in her life.

"Alright since Jean's busy I might as well get to have some fun then," he told her and he was amazed at how the slight smile on her face lit her face up.

Jean had been enjoying herself as she met so many people there were people from all over many human but she was surprised to find just how many people had been mutants who had kept it secret. She was told by Shinobi of course that what was said in these walls were not to be repeated outside of them for their privacy. She agreed of course knowing the kind of thing Warren had to deal with his own family and their company forced to hide his mutation from the world.

She spoke with the rich and powerful and they actually listened to her some even asked her opinion on things. Here she was hanging out with these people and they were actually listening to her, it felt amazing to her to be able to do all of this. She suddenly realized that Scott wasn't with her anymore and hadn't noticed when he left so she started looking around for him. She excused herself as she went looking around and stopped when she saw him with Emma Frost. She couldn't believe that she was here of all places and she was talking to Scott again.

Then she noticed that they were actually smiling at each other and she felt a bang of jealously when she noticed that Emma was leaning a bit too close to him, she said something and Scott smirked almost laughed actually and then she ran her hand up his arm and Jean could tell that wasn't just a simple gesture.

"Ah I see she's found her new play toy," Shinobi said coming up behind her. "I know it's not my place to say but he seems to be having too good a time for someone that is with a party with his girlfriend."

Jean was silent as images of her past relationship with Duncan flashed through her mind she quickly shook that away as she knew Scott wasn't like Duncan he was the exact opposite in fact. But there he was having a good time with the leader of the Hellions. She knew that Emma had her eyes on Scott so she knew why she was being so 'nice' to him. But what she didn't understand was why Scott was being like this to her.

"I think it's time we left it's getting late and we have a drive ahead of us," Jean said politely to Shinobi, "Thank you for the party."

He gave a small bow, "Thank you for coming I know you've made an impression on a few people here Jean. I'll see you around the school and have a good night."

Jean nodded and walked off to Scott she found Emma even closer now and it looked like she was trying to get her arm locked around Scott's. She gritted her teeth as she walked up and took Scott's arm on the other side. "Ah Emma I didn't expect to see you here."

"Why Jean I didn't see you come in and in last year's fashion as well. Well we can't all expect to keep up after all," Emma said smiling.

Jean gave her a cold look, "Well it's not like most people have a rich bank account to afford dresses like that although I'm surprised you're not cold with so much skin exposed."

"Oh don't worry Scott has been keeping me very warm," she said winking at him.

Scott by know knew he was heading for a major problem and stepped in before Jean could say something about that, "Ah well I'll see you around Emma we really should be getting home anyway."

Emma gave a small pout, "Well if you must but it was certainly interesting talking to you Scott I hope we can talk more and fight less in the future after all when it comes right down to it we are all on the same side here."

Scott nodded and quickly moved to the exit, it was a long and very silent walk back to his car. Even when they got in the car and they were driving on their way home it took thirty minutes before he couldn't stand it anymore. "Oh come on what's the problem Jean?"

"Nothing."

"Don't nothing me there's a problem you haven't said one word to me and you've shut yourself off mentally as well so we can either talk this out or I can stop the car right here until we start talking. It's a long drive and we have plenty of time."

Jean was just looking out the window for a few minutes before she decided to tell him what was bothering her, "How could you be so friendly with Emma Frost of all people? She's the enemy in case you haven't forgotten."

"So was Rogue and Wanda and look how that turned out," he said.

"You're not seriously comparing them to her."

"Why not? You haven't even talked to her and besides she was the only person at that place that I knew, she came up to me and started talking and she's not as bad as you think. She's had a hard life before the Hellions and besides you left me all alone in a place where I knew no one."

Jean looked at him shocked.

"Oh come on Jean you didn't even notice that I was gone until nearly an hour after I left I mean did you notice once when I was gone?" He asked slightly hurt.

Jean winced at that the truth was that she hadn't noticed that he had gone but for nearly a full hour? She looked at the clock on the dashboard of Scott's car and saw the time and her stomach dropped seeing it. She didn't mean for that to happen she had just lost herself in the party that she just got carried away.

"Plus Shinobi seemed to be taking real good care of you anyway." He said.

"Scott not this again there is nothing going on with me and him he's just a friend nothing more," Jean said and there was a long silence after that. They drove on in the night for awhile before Jean hung her head, "Scott...I'm sorry I didn't mean to leave you like that."

Scott gave out a long sigh, "Alright."

It was a long drive back it seemed and later that night they said their goodnights to one another but Jean could tell there was still a little tension between them, they could work through it but she couldn't help but feel her heart heavy with tonight. It had been such a good night and to end on a sour note wasn't what she had envisioned. She just hoped that she could make this up for Scott later the next day.

**-Washington DC-**

Mystique was not a happy woman, ever since her meeting she had been thinking over the offer she had been made. On the one hand she wanted Rogue and Kurt back in her life but she also had her duty to Magneto as she had a lot to prove after she worked with Apocalypse but she had nowhere else to turn to. But this deal this person that he worked for this Master character it was always in her thoughts. She honestly wasn't sure what to do now but she couldn't think about that now.

She had been in her home working on some things, it wasn't much just some things that her husband needed help with and their adopted daughter was sleeping having played herself tired. That was when she got the call it was just a phrase but it was a code word used by Magneto's people to tell her to show up to a certain spot.

So she left saying she was going out and made her a staff member was looking over Gloria when she shifted into another form and made her way to the meeting area. It was by the Washington monument as she sat down on a bench that had been prearranged. She didn't have to wait long as someone came up to her spot.

"I have to admit Mystique changing into a new appearance certainly makes things interesting," the man said. He was just her contact in this area of the world she didn't know his name as he never offered but she didn't care about that. He was a slim looking man with tan skin and always wore some kind of dark shades most likely hiding some type of physical mutation in his eyes.

"What does he want now?" she asked him as she just wanted to get to the point of things.

He sighed as he slipped an envelope out of his jacket and handed it to her. "Mainly just something you're good at, you're to take care of a certain problem for him and also he wants it public. He wants you to follow the plan exactly not sure why but apparently it's supposed to also cause all kinds of trouble for someone that used to work for him that left. You know how he is with that kind of thing."

"Go to hell," she told him seeing his grin.

"Alright fine he just wants you to do what's in there as soon as you can and remember he wants it public. Apparently he's got some plans for this whole thing," he said and got up without saying anything else. She watched him leave and then looked at the envelope in her hands, she sighed as she knew what type of mission this had to be it had been a long time but she could do it. After all what else could she do?

**Next up Chapter 14: **


	14. Pieces to the Puzzle

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 14: Pieces to the Puzzle**

Rachel was exploring her new home although it was hard to call it that yet but so far things hadn't been so bad or at least they were getting better. She could still feel the uneasy feelings with the others but also their curiosity about what she could tell them although she couldn't tell them much as many of them she either didn't remembered or never knew them. A few times she had sent a few away with disappointed looks but one good point was how things were with Alex. It was still odd to see him alive and well and her own age but after that one night she felt a bit better. After a good nights sleep and she had wakened up she made a vow to make sure that what happened in her time line with them never happened in this one.

She still was avoiding her parents or maybe they were avoiding her she wasn't sure which but she needed time to adjust given how hard it had been with Alex it was more so with them. So she took to wondering the mansion and getting the layout of the place, she was also trying to get to know everyone as well since she was stuck in this timeline for the rest of her life she might as well start to get to know people.

Rachel was currently just looking around as the school was over with for the moment so she was wondering where everyone was? She found a few but so far it was oddly quiet which was strange given the number of people in the mansion. So she went looking around when she got close to the gym they had she soon found several of the students there. She opened the door and looked in and took in the place. It was a large room although what she didn't know was that it was one of the rooms that had been expanded with the mansion's last upgrades. Mostly she saw what looked like a group of students going through some sort of training.

She saw Vincent and Rogue there looking like they were helping to teach the others some kind of fighting plus there was also a Japanese boy she had seen around as well who was helping out and of course the much younger X23 was there as well throwing in what she knew as well. She just stood there watching as she saw the mutants learning from them all. It brought back memories of her time in the resistance as well how they would hold training sessions and how she had done that training.

She just watched them and was surprised to see a young boy with multiple copies being taught by all four of the 'teachers' it seemed. She was trying to place his name but she was still learning them all, although she was wondering if he was actually learning with all those copies?

While she was watching Rogue was watching from the sidelines as Tabitha and Amara were sparing, Tabitha had the reach which is why she was teaching the blonde the Tai Kwon Do that she knew since kicks were a big part and Tabitha had the legs for it. Amara since she was shorter was getting more ninjustu and karate from Kai and Vincent so it was a good match to watch the girls use their separate styles. Rogue herself had been taking in bits and pieces from Vincent as well as others to round herself out more.

Rogue was starting to like this whole 'teacher' thing since no one wanted to get on her angry side and she got to tell people what to do. The only thing was that she was new to this so she was a bit unsure if she was teaching them the right way or not. She looked a bit to the others and she had to shake her head looking at Jamie that boy was scary with learning with his clones ever since he figured out that he could learn and train with his clones faster than a normal person. Since every clone's knowledge and experience went back to him he learned everything they did, he was currently learning four different styles and also improving on them at the same time.

Vincent often joked that he would run out of things to teach the boy in a few years at this rate and already Rogue was starting to see the point. Jamie was literally a sponge for learning now and she had to admit the boy never seemed happier. She could tell that Jamie was finally feeling like he was starting to get stronger thanks to his mutation, well that and the fact he just started to go dating with Paige Guthrie as well. Rogue gave a small smirk at that, she never said it but it was kind of cute seeing the two of them together.

Rogue's eyes wondered over the room and she noticed that someone was watching them. It was Rachel who was just standing there watching. She wasn't sure what to make of the girl that was for sure but she remembered what it was like being the new girl around here hell she had been the new girl who used to be the enemy. They reached out to her so she might as well reach out to this girl besides the girl's life sounded crappier than hers and that was saying something.

"Hey there ya want ta join in?" Rogue asked her when she walked up to the younger red head.

Rachel snapped out of her thoughts looking at the goth girl. "Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt or anything."

"Please," Rogue rolled her eyes, "Y'all ain't doin' nothin' of tha sort. Besides we could use some new blood since you're a fighter and all we should at least see what ya got girl after all you got a mission and y'all ain't goin' ta do it alone ya know."

Rachel hadn't thought of that she would have to fight alongside the X-Men and truthfully she was getting a little 'itching' for some action. She couldn't remember when she had gone for so long without something to do and it had only been a few days. She looked up at the taller girl and she could see the girl's eyes held a hardness in them but there was softness in them as well. She decided to take up the challenge and besides she was curious as to the sort of woman that the Commander had fallen for.

"So who am I fighting?" Rachel asked giving the girl a look of challenge in her eyes.

Rogue saw this and smirked and nodded her head to the mats. The others were pulled aside to watch as the new girl up against Rogue, there was heavy anticipation from everyone as they watched for the action to start. Both got into the center of the mates and got into their fighting positions, both girls were sizing each other up.

"Five bucks on Rogue," Tabitha said to those around her.

"That's not a bet it's a sure thing," Bobby spoke up laughing knowing full well what Rogue was capable of.

"No betting you guys I want you all to watch and learn from this," Vincent told them seriously as he watched the girls starting to move.

Rogue started off with a sidekick and as expected Rachel blocked it and the girls started moving towards and away from each other. Each one was judging the other and then just like that Rogue lashed out with a one-two combo kick, Rachel took the shot to her thigh and blocked the higher one and went with a front kick of her own.

Rogue twisted to avoid the blow and moved forward with a backhand. Rachel ducked under it and gave Rogue a light hit to her kidneys making the older girl step back. Rogue had underestimated her and now she saw that the girl was used to in close fighting. So this time she attacked again with a fist, Rachel blocked it with her forearm and went with a straight punch back. Rogue this used her other hand to hit the girl's wrist making the blow go off angle and now she took a step forward and hit the girl in the ribs with a knee.

Rachel grunted and then they both went into a fury of punches and counter punches. Both girls were moving at the best speed they could which to say was surprisingly fast. Everyone watching was surprised at how well the girls were matched up, Rogue was older with a slightly longer reach than Rachel but she wasn't backing down in fact she seemed to be trying to take the fight to Rogue. As Rogue fought she had to admit the girl had skills but there was something else about their fight.

Something was nagging at her about something, she wasn't sure what but something was off about it. But she continued to push herself, she was being careful not to brain the girl with her insane strength that she had now. It wasn't always easy to keep her new powers in check, and it took sparing with Vincent enough times to get the hang of it. After all the last thing she needed was to sent someone to the infirmary from a punch that she thought was 'light' and then broke someone's bones.

Although the girl's blows didn't hurt her in the slightest she took the shots as if they did if only to make it more real. After all there was nothing more frustrating in a fight then doing your best and not having any effect at all on your opponent. Then all of a sudden Rachel threw a move that Rogue had seen many times while sparing with Vincent.

It was then that she noticed what that nagging feeling was, it was her moves. Rogue thought that some of those moves they were too familiar. She jumped back and the surprised must have been on her face because Rachel stopped as well. She wasn't the only one that noticed as well as Vincent came walking onto the mat to look at the girl. They both dropped their fighting stances as he came up to her.

"How did you learn that style you used?" Vincent asked her.

"Huh, which one?" Rachel asked.

"Mototsugu style of Karate," he said.

"Oh that, well you taught me it as well as Logan and Sarah teaching me too. I learned from a lot of people over the years," she told him.

"Ah that explains a few things," he smirked as her.

She was still surprised to see him do things like that, she was so used to his older self that she wondered if she would ever get used to this. She noticed the people watching and felt a little self conscious now wondering what they were thinking. She could take a look but she tried her hardest not to look into someone else's mind. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Rogue there with a small smirk herself.

"Well ah got ta admit girl ya got some moves, maybe next tahme you'll show us what ya can do with your powers," Rogue told the younger red head. She seemed pleased by what she said and she had to admit that she was really looking forward to seeing what the girl could do. They had seen her in battle but she hadn't been at a hundred percent and thinking clearheaded. Now that she was fully rested and recovered she was left wondering what the girl could really do now.

"I think I'll like that," Rachel admitted.

"Well then why don't you join the rest and let's see where your stills are really at," Vincent said and clapped his hands. Everyone disbursed back to where they were as the training continued on with their training and Rachel joined int. It was the first thing she had done with the group and there was a sense of familiarity with it. Being in a group as Vincent barked out corrections or what stance to use. It was just like back home in a way.

'Maybe I can fit in here after all,' she thought with a smile as she started to get into the movements.

**-Outside-**

Ororo was placing some of her most precious flowers into pots to be put in the green house for the winter. Clarice was helping her on the other side of the mansion at the moment and she was glad for the help. With her help she got this done in a fraction of the time plus it was nice for them to have an interests in plants as well. She smiled at how Blink would just finish with a few plants and then teleport straight to the green house and then be back. That certainly cut into the time it took to carry them all up and then come back down.

It was getting colder now but with a little sunshine she fixed that, sometimes having the power over the weather had its upsides. It was a shame that the rest of the plants would die out with winter but that was the cycle of how things went. Besides it just meant that she could replant with the spring and she did love to do that, she was looking forward to doing that with Clarice as well. After adopting the poor girl she found that she liked being a mother, she was a mother figure to many of the kids but Clarice was her own special someone.

She smiled at the good times and even how she had been there for the young girl. Maybe it was just something inside of her that wanted to have a family that made her choose this. After all her sister had Evan and they were now expecting another child as well. But here she was in the thirties and still single, the last time she had a real date had been at least three years ago. Thinking about that always depressed her, despite the full house she did feel alone at times. Clarice helped to fill that void in her life although she still would like to have someone special in her life she could share it with.

She was just about to finish up when a familiar roaring sound was heard, she turned her head to see Logan had finally gotten back. She wondered where he went off to at times but she never bothered to ask him, everyone was entitled to some privacy. She grew a smirk on her face at the thought of telling him about their new guest.

He pulled into the garage and she stood to walk over and great him home. He came out just as she was getting to the door, she could smell the mixture of cigar smoke, gas, and something else. He always had this musky scent to him it seemed. She smiled warmly at him and he nodded his head towards her.

"Ro, so how are the brats no one gotten out of line?" Logan asked as they started to walk up to the mansion.

"Well the _children_ are doing fine," she said to him. "Sarah is doing well too."

He nodded his head although she knew that he wanted to ask about her, he liked to put on the tough man look on the outside but she knew that over the years he had a small soft spot inside of him for everyone. And after all like her, he was a father too now. It was strange although at least his child shared some of his genes, and she defiantly took after her father that much was sure.

"There is a new development that has happened Logan."

He groaned, "Figures I leave for some peace and quiet and things go to hell when I'm gone. Okay just how much trouble are we in _this_ time?"

Logan swore that this place was just one giant magnet for trouble, everything that could happened seemed to happen here. You get all the trouble with other dimension like with those dino-lizard things Kurt brought back with him. Forge's device that sent him through several realities and he did it again later too. Then there was Kitty with her damn dragon for a pet, magic people dropping in, the only thing they needed was the damn aliens and it might be complete.

He noticed that there was something amusing dancing in Ororo's eyes and he didn't like that look. She knew that he wouldn't like whatever she was going to tell him and she was going to enjoy it as well. He mentally gritted his teeth and started to think up the worse possible things that could happen to lessen the blow.

"Well?" he finally asked.

"It seems we found a girl from the future and she's here to change things so that the horrible future she's from happening."

Logan was strangely silent but on the inside he was banging his head against an imaginary wall. That was something he hadn't thought of and just the thought of time travel was making his head hurt. He just knew that he was going to need a drink and not a beer this time but the hard stuff.

"I honestly shouldn't be surprised but I am," he simply said.

Ororo was slightly annoyed at how well he seemed to take it so she just threw in the last part as if it didn't matter.

"Oh and the young girl's name is Rachel. Rachel Summers and apparently she's Scott and Jean's daughter from that future as well."

That actually made Logan stop in his tracks. She looked at him but his face was strangely neutral and he was quiet for a long moment. In fact he was so quiet that she was starting to worry and was about to ask him if he was okay when he finally spoke.

"The hell did you just say!?"

**-Forge's Lab-**

In Forge's lab there was both Xavier and Hank there as Forge had called them down he had seemed excited so they had guessed that he was finally able to access information on the device that Rachel had brought with her from the future. They were both watching the young man as he was excitedly working on the computers that he had slaved together to access the device.

"So I take it that you've been able to find something from the device Forge?" Hank asked the young mutant.

"Oh man you have no idea that program worked but I still needed to set this up to fully access the device. Let me tell you I wanted to take it apart to see how it works but I was too afraid that I might ruin the data on it so that's why it took me so long," Forge was bringing something up on two of the computer monitors.

"Here this is an index to the device like the file tree in a standard system and a lot of it is just programming you know DNA locking, how it works stuff like that. But I did find a file that held everything we needed to know."

"How do you know that?" Hank asked.

"Well...because it was labelled 'Everything you need to know' on it, see?" He pointed to a file and there it was. "Looks like my future self gave me a break after all. Anyways I've been looking and there are various notes on how things got so bad. It has profiles on a few major players and what happened, there is a timeline as well and from the notes from my future self he thought that the best course to alter that future was to prevent two major events going on."

"What events are we to prevent Forge?" Xavier asked as he thought about what else they could learn about this device.

"Well first is this nasty thing with the Sentinels, apparently roughly in a few months from now the first of the Mastermold type of Sentinels will be constructed. This is the prototype for the rest that end up turning against the world and pretty much run things. It says if we stop that we could push back the Sentinel program years and if we destroy all the information on it we can set it back a lot longer."

"Well that's important information," Xavier said to him, "How much information is there on this?"

"Well...not as much as I would have liked," Forged sighed. "See the thing is this was built in secret and wasn't shown until after another major event that was taking place but I'll get to that later. See this Mastermold was built and its like a sentinel that makes other sentinels and is a lot smarter too. I'm talking a true AI it seems. Now there is a lot of theories on who and where it was built but was never confirmed. There are a few leads...but nothing concrete."

"Well I guess it would be too much to ask for is there anything useful to give is an idea where to look?" Xavier asked him.

Forge scratched his head thinking on it, "well it might but we'll have to start running a few programs and looking around to see what we can find. But we aren't totally in the dark at least so it will just take some time. Although we do have something a bit more concrete on an event that is going to happen soon."

"What event is that?" Xavier asked him.

Forge pulled up something on the computer screen and it showed what looked like a clipping from a newspaper, on the front paper it seemed to have a picture of Senator Kelly with the words 'Assassinated' writing in bold lettering. Both adults didn't like the looks of that, sure Kelly wasn't their most popular person in the world but this didn't look good at all.

"Yeah pretty soon he gets killed but that's not the worse news," Forge said bringing up other information. "Looks like there was a mutant involved in this as well."

"A mutant killing a senator, that would cause a lot of public outcry against mutants all over this country," Hank said thinking of the implications.

"Yes this would be even worse when mutants were exposed to the world," Xavier commented. He was thinking on how things had been when mutants first became public knowledge, people were scared all over. The fact that a mutant did this or would do this, only would make things far worse. The gap between human and mutant would only get wider, people would lash out against mutant and mutants would fight back.

"It seems this is one of the causes for that future that Rachel warned us about," Xavier concluded.

"Yeah but take a look at the picture that was taken from the mutant that did it," Forge pulled up another photo that showed a mutant in restraints being dragged by police officers. They took a close look and were surprised that they actually knew this mutant.

"It can't be him can it?" Hank asked, "I know his morals weren't exactly the best but murder?"

"Yeah I know but it says right here that he was identified by several witnesses, a video camera caught him and many other things. They even had his finger prints on the murder weapon that was found," Forge said.

Xavier sighed as now they had something they could do in the meantime with trying to find this Mastermold. "I want you to keep working on finding anymore information you can, I'll set up a search for anything that could relate to Mastermold but I think our first priority is to find this mutant and stop him and question him on why he would do this. I'll start searching for him personally."

Hank looked back at the picture and shook his head, "I never thought that Gambit would commit something like this."

**Next up chapter 15: To Catch a Thief**

**Pease leave a review.**


	15. To catch a thief

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 15: To Catch a Thief**

When the news got around about Gambit and what he was going to do everyone was shocked. Of course there were various reactions but mainly everyone thought that assassination was a bit much for a thief. Sure the guy had a criminal past but as far as they knew murder hadn't been part of it. But that still didn't mean that they wouldn't look for him, since for all they knew something might have happened to push him towards this. Even thought his target had been someone that had been a major thorn in their lives, and an advocate for mutant registration they couldn't let it happen.

So they were now doing everything they could to find him. At the moment Kitty Pryde was in their new computer room, the large room was kept cool for all the computers that were working. It had been built along with all the new modifications to the mansion as it helped with several factors. The computers helped Forge and Hank along with any research, it also held a record from all mutants that Cerebro picked up and any information on them too. It also had major computer power to search in many networks.

Simply put she loved it, being a major computer nerd this was like a dream. At the moment the large screens had several different images on them, all of them shifting from one thing to another. One showed various news images as it scanned for any information about mutants, or threats to mutants constantly and flagged anything important. Another was scanning the internet for things about mutants too, some were sites for mutants other were anti-mutant and of course the Friends of Humanity websites too. After they showed their faces it was decided to keep an eye on them too.

Another screen that she was looking at was her searching through any information she could find on Gambit. She was scanning through credit cards, hotels, tickets on anything that would have his name on it. Of course not all of it was 'legal' searching but sometimes they had to bend the law in order to protect the innocent.

She was at a computer station where you could see all three screens with lots of controls on it. She had been working on this since she had finished off her homework setting up search programs and anything else they would need. She rubbed her eyes wondering what time it was as her eyes were starting to ache from looking at computer screens for hours on end.

She stifled a yawn and went back to work.

She heard the large metal doors open up and someone stepping through it.

"Oh god it's freezing in here."

She turned around in her chair surprised to see Rachel of all people walking in.

"Like hi, you needed something?" She asked.

Rachel getting used to a lot of things but hearing Commander Pryde talking like that was something she thought she would never get used to. She walked into the cool room looking around her, it kind of reminded her of the old communications hub they had back in the future. The only thing was that it wasn't patched together with bits and pieces from wherever they could find it.

"I was just looking around and I was wondering what was in this room," Rachel said looking at the screens.

"Oh that's cool, yeah this is like our totally amazing computer lab. I mean we got so much computing power it's amazing what we can do. That is if I can keep Bobby from trying to play video games on this. This is not a toy and it wasn't like build to games."

Kitty sighed, she just hated it when Bobby and the others tried to play around with this system. It was the most expensive computer she had ever seen. If it wasn't Bobby or the other boys trying to upload games onto it and play it, it was sometimes the girls trying to upload music or videos off it as well. She had to spend hours at times cleaning up the system from spyware and viruses. She got help thankfully but it was still a pet peeve of her how no one respected this.

Rachel couldn't help but see a little of the woman she knew in the younger counter part in that small moment. She remembered how the Pryde she knew was just as touchy about computers as well.

Kitty looked at the girl and she had been meaning to ask her a few questions but wasn't sure if it was out of line or not.

Rachel could see that she wanted to ask something like the others had. She sighed and rolled her eyes, "Alright go ahead and ask but keep in mind I might not even know the answers."

"You don't mind?"

"Might as well get it out of the way."

"Okay well...did I ever marry?" She asked her. After hearing that Jean and Scott got married and had a kid and that Rogue told her how she felt knowing that she was married to Vince in the future she wanted to know if she ever got married. There was of course someone she hoped that she married too. The thought of Piotr and her in a wedding was something she couldn't wait to plane. Hell she had it planned out since she was twelve.

Rachel thought about it, "Sorry but I don't know. I mean you weren't with anyone in the time I knew you and I don't know much about your past."

Kitty was kind of crushed at that, she had hoped for more. But she knew that Rachel wouldn't know everything. It just would have been nice to have heard that she and Piotr would have ended up together, sure the future she was from was horrible. But in that kind of horror she would have liked to have had at least one nice thing going for her in that life.

Rachel saw this and decided to change the conversation, "So who is this Gambit guy anyway that we're looking for?"

"Well he used to like work with Magneto until he up and quit not long ago. He was actually with us for a bit but...there was kind of an incident."

"Incident?"

"Well Gambit was having some trouble totally adjusting and well, there was a fight." Kitty said not sure how much she should say but then again it might come out later anyway.

"Do I want to hear about this?" Rachel asked.

"Well..." she thought about it but it was just too good gossip to keep to herself. "Okay first things first is that Gambit and Rogue were like totally flirting before, he liked her and she liked him even though she totally denied it. But he was never here, then Vince came in and well he and Rogue over time got together. It wasn't like easy as they couldn't touch at first but that's another story."

"Anyways we skip ahead and Gambit helps Piotr and us free his little sister and others from Magneto, oh and Wanda too. She found out about the false memories in her head and she was totally pissed. Anyway he was here but Rogue was in a relationship. He tried to get her to like him more and she was so confused. But she chose Vince in the end but Gambit didn't give up and the boys got into a fight. Well in the end Gambit felt he needed some space to find himself and took off."

"We like haven't heard from him since then."

Rachel was surprised by the story, "So...you think he's capable of something like this? I mean he did used to work for Magneto and from the stories I heard he wasn't always such a nice guy."

"Well...okay so Gambit was and maybe is a total thief, but assassination just doesn't seem like him. I mean it's a bit much but we have the information from your future. All we can do is try to find him and then stop him really." Kitty explained.

"So we have to search the entire planet for just one person, that doesn't sound easy."

"Well we also got Cerebro looking too but only if he uses his powers, plus we're thinking of using SHIELD to help us out too since we got friends there. So it's only a matter of time before we find him."

At that moment the door opened again and in walked Piotr carrying a tray with drinks and a few small snacks on them. He smiled seeing the two girls and walked up to them.

"Peter?" Kitty asked him wondering what he was doing here with that.

"I figured you would still be here, so I brought some drinks and snacks and I thought to keep you company as well. You work too hard sometimes and someone has to come and make sure that you are eating and resting."

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Aww that's like so sweat of you, thank you for all of this Peter. I'm almost done here."

"Then I will stay and keep you company and make sure that you do rest afterwards." He said to her sitting down. He looked over to Rachel, "You don't mind me joining that is?"

Rachel smiled and got up feeling like a third wheel. "No that's okay I need to leave anyway. I enjoyed our talk."

"Me too." Kitty smiled as Rachel left the two of them alone.

Rachel took one last look at the two of them and it made her smile, Kitty had always been someone she had looked up to. She couldn't remember her ever seeing anyone on a romantic level but she did seem sad at certain times of the year. She didn't ask as she knew that she had to have lost someone. Everyone had at some point or another. But seeing them together now she could see how much each other meant to the other.

It was just another way to motivate her to complete this mission, she needed to ensure that nothing happened to them. Seeing Kitty so happy in the past made her wanting to protect that. Kitty had been like a big sister to her and although it was strange how they were now, she wanted to make it so Kitty still had that in the future. She walked out of the room with even more determination, the more she saw how things were in the past the more she started to realize that she wanted to protect it even more so.

'_Was that another reason he sent me here?'_ she thought to herself as she walked the corridors. _'Did he want me to see how things were and protect it? Did he feel that I could be the one to pull it off?'_

She didn't know but the more she lived here the more she wanted to save it.

**-Elsewhere in the Mansion-**

Scott was in the one place he knew where most people wouldn't bother him. He was in the hanger with the X-Jet just trying to find some peace and quiet. He could have chosen the Danger Room but some people actually liked to use it other than him now, so he had to find a new place where he could just find some peace.

Even with the mansion being expanded it wasn't easy with over thirty people living in the place. So he went to the hanger, no one really went here all that much and so there he was. He was laying on the top of the X-Jet just staring up at the ceiling. He could feel the hard metal cool metal on his back as he let his mind just wonder. Scott was thinking about several things, one of them was that party they had gone to. He knew it had been a bad idea, sure things had worked out a bit but the sting of what Jean had done still hurt a bit. Plus now he felt like he understood Emma Frost more and that worried him. They were on opposite sides but he felt that was only because of personal politics.

They both seemed to want the same thing it was just they fought for it in different ways.

But what mostly was on his mind was Rachel, he couldn't avoid her forever. It was just tough seeing her like that. He had grown up without parents and it just didn't sit well to know that he hadn't been there for her growing up. Looking at her was like looking at a younger Jean but whose past was just as bad as his own. He didn't like to think about the orphanage or how bad things had been there for him. But Rachel had suffered even more and in the end he knew why he avoided her.

He felt like a failure.

All his life he wanted a family and to learn that he started one with Jean who he knew was the love of his life it was amazing. But to learn that he failed as a husband and father took any joy away from it. He couldn't protect either Jean or Rachel and Jean had died with him and Rachel had grown up being abused, unloved, and how knew what she was forced to do. It made him slightly sick to think of the kind of things that could have happened to her.

But there was the fact that, that girl was now here and was trying to change things for the better and all he had done was hide. He needed to face her and talk to here but he didn't even know where to start with Rachel. Did she hate him for how he had failed her as a father? Was he even a good father from the start?

"Scott are you in here?"

Scott sighed, "Yeah Jean I'm up here."

He waited for her to levitate herself up to the top of the X-jet, she lowered herself down to him, kneeling next to him. She had been looking for him for a bit and if it wasn't that she knew him so well she might never had found him. She knew that he only came here when he had some really deep thinking to be made. She still felt sorry for how the party happened and was worried that things were still a bit more strained between them.

"Scott are you okay?" she asked him.

He wasn't sure if just to give her a comforting lie or to let her know the truth. Looking into her worried eyes made him chose the truth.

"I'm just thinking about Rachel."

Jean wasn't sure how to feel about him worrying about her. She herself wasn't sure what to think on it.

"I feel like I failed her Jean, I failed as a father to her. She wasn't protected and I wasn't there for her growing up. I know what that's like and it's not fun Jean." He went back to looking at the ceiling remembering his childhood. "I remember all too well what it's like to watch your parents die and live without them. The fact I did the same to her...it kills me inside. I mean how could I do that? I wasn't strong enough in the future and she paid for it."

"Scott..."

"I failed you and her Jean," he said sharply, "she must hate me for what happened."

"Scott you can't know that. We haven't really even talked to her but there is no way that she could blame you. I know that you would have done everything in your power." She told him gently touching his shoulder.

"But we still died Jean," Scott sighed. "We need to talk to her Jean. We've been ignoring her for too long and I need to at least start to confront this."

Jean however wasn't as certain she still wasn't sure if she could handle things. There are so many things going on and she still couldn't handle this. She had no idea how to be a mother and she already was a teenage daughter in their lives. It just wasn't fair, she wasn't ready for this. She wasn't even sure if she could ever handle Rachel as it just seemed like their lives would never be normal enough for them.

"I think we should go and find her and actually talk to her now Jean." Scott said slowly getting up. Then he noticed that Jean wasn't moving. "Jean?"

"I can't Scott."

"Jean we can't keep avoiding this."

"I know but I'm just not ready," she told him getting up and moving away from him. "I just...need more time." She said as she floated away from him.

Scott sighed wondering what was going through her mind, yes he knew her very well but there were still parts that he just couldn't figure out. He wished she would be with him for this, he would have really liked to have had her with him when he went to see Rachel. Her presence would have giving him come much needed comfort while talking to her. But it looked like he would be doing this himself, so he just sighed and got off the jet. He wasn't sure where to find Rachel, he guess he could ask around or check her room.

**-Danger Room-**

Up in the Danger Room control room Logan was already at work, mainly because he needed something to focus on. He swore he couldn't leave this place for a week without something going to hell. He had seen that Rachel girl who looked just as shocked to see him as he was with her. She definitely looked like a younger Jean and her scent was a mix of Jean and Scott. He just didn't know what to hell think of this whole thing, Forge and Hank tried to explain to him how time travel might work out but he just got a headache.

So now he was making up several programs on how to capture Gambit, he was trying to think up different scenarios that could happen and even if he was back with Magneto too. So he was adding in ones with all known Brotherhood and Acolyte members with it as well as just Gambit. Thankfully he had been in the Danger Room enough times for him to use past sessions to build a decent model of him.

Also it gave him something to focus on as well.

He heard the door behind him slid open and just from the smell he got with his nose he could already tell who it was.

"You know Chuck I go away just to get away from things and relax and _this _is what I come back to."

Xavier had to smile as he came in closer to Logan, "Well I have to admit it's more strange then usual. Although it is not as if it's our fault, but it's lucky that this did happen as there is much we needed to know and to stop."

"Yeah I know, still can't believe we have to save Kelly of all people," Logan muttered darkly. "And we never did find out where Trask was going. Should have known to never have let him just go and vanish like that."

"I do believe other things did come up that needed our attention," Xavier said.

"Yeah there's that but we should learn not to let this kind of crap to go unanswered. I mean if we had tried to find him sooner we might have avoided it now." Logan really hated leaving thing unfinished and he should have known that Trask was going to bite them in the ass again.

He was just venting his frustrations out but damn it, he was pissed. Trask had kidnapped several of the kids and used them in that twisted experiments to make his new sentinels even better killing machines. As if they weren't dangerous enough as they were and he was upgrading them too. He already asked Fury to see if he had any updates but he was still looking as well.

Xavier knew what he was talking about with Trask, he didn't like that he had gotten away. They had tried to look for him but they hadn't found anything. But then again things had come up and the search had to have been called off and by the time they got back on track the trail was dead cold.

"So Logan how do you feel about our new addition?" Xavier asked him to change the subject.

Logan sighed and ran his hand over his face, "It's just really messed up. I mean they're most likely having even more trouble. They now got a teenage daughter, how the hell do you deal with that?"

"I must admit it is a troubling thing to handle," Xavier sighed. He wasn't sure how well Jean and Scott were handling things he just hoped they could find some way of dealing with it.

Logan just sighed and shook his head, he didn't envy them that was for sure. He had his hands full with X23 as it was being his 'daughter' now. If a grown up version of her came back that would have given him a major migraine.

"I must admit you're handling things better than I expected you do with Jean and Scott having a child." He said slightly amused.

"Personally one of the things I figured out while on the road was that I just don't give a crap about that anymore. Hell they're adults, let them go at it like rabbits if they want but I ain't the one that will be picking up after any mess." He told him flat out. "I just don't want to deal with all this teenage crap anymore. They want to have sex fine but they better be prepared for the consequences and I think having walking proof will help with that. So I say we do our best and let them figure it out."

"After the thing with Evan we should have known that no matter how much we beat into their heads they're going to do whatever the hell they feel like doing. I just got tired of it Chuck."

Xavier was surprised by this, he never knew how much stress Logan was placing on himself. "So does that go with Sarah?"

"Hell no!" Logan snapped at him. "If any guy touches her in any way like that he better run before I catch up with him!"

Xavier had to smile at that, it seemed that being a parent was growing on him.

**Next Up Chapter 16: Family Ties**


	16. Family Ties

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 16: Family Ties**

Rachel was feeling a little tired, she had been having a long day getting used to this time period. With everything going on she felt that she needed to recharge but she was also feeling antsy. She needed to complete her mission but without a target she felt frustrated. She was currently in the living room alone, everyone had gone to bet for school the next morning. That was something that Rachel had never gone to, she had been too young at first but then things had gotten bad. She had been mainly self taught or taught by her parents and others.

But then again she still didn't like to walk around the city with how her face looked. It hadn't been a problem back where she came from, but now she was starting to get self conscious of it. Although now looking back she never liked the marks that had been place on her face against her will. They had marked her as a slave as one of the Hounds. She had tried so hard to escape that part of her life, at times she wished she could just wipe her own memories of that with her powers. One time she had tried and someone had stopped her when they figured out what she was trying to do.

It was most likely a good idea as she had been told she had been close to wiping her entire mind. She had the power but she never had the finesse needed for the really tricking things with being a telepath. She sighed there sitting on the couch as her mind wondered.

There was one good thing and that was Alex. He had helped her to start moving on from what she had done, it still hurt of course but now she felt that she could do something about it. She may not be able to wipe it from her mind but she could make sure that it never happened outside of her memories. Plus it was nice to get to know him, she had few memories of him but he had always been a kind and carrying uncle. She smiled as they had talked a lot as she learned more about the young uncle that she never got to know. She didn't know that he had adopted parents in Hawaii that were very supportive that he was a mutant and of Scott.

That last thought made her sad, thinking about her father. Or at least this young man that had grown up to be her father, she wished things could be better between them. It was strange to see her father only a few years older than her but she still remembered that face, that voice he had. She so wanted to just go up to them and hug them close and just be held by them, they were the closet thing she had to her real parents and it hurt so much that she could see them and yet do nothing.

While she was lost in her thoughts, Scott walked into the room. He paused not sure what to say to her or even how to begin. She looked a bit sad and he guess that he couldn't blame her after all how could he cope with something like this? He nervously stepped forward and came up on her left.

"Uh...hey," Scott knew it was a lame opening but honestly he couldn't think of anything else.

Rachel jumped in her seat and was surprised that Scott was there and was talking to her. She felt nervous and anxious at the same time but trying to keep herself calm. "Uh...hi."

"Listen I know that I haven't been very good about this, but I was hoping that we could talk." Scott asked her.

Rachel wasn't sure what to say at first but she nodded her head to him. He gave her a small smile and sat down next to her. Both were nervous and unsure what to say, and the silence between them was pretty large and it was getting to the point that both were feeling very uncomfortable. Scott sighed as he tried think of what to do first so he went with just asking her how she was doing fitting in. They started up with that, she told him about liking the new people and even seeing a few faces she had known in her time. She was getting used to living in this time and was liking all the things they had here that she didn't back where she had come from.

Listening to things made him wonder just how bad things get in the future. After a moment they fell into some silence again and Scott thought it was time to finally ask her what was plaguing him.

"Rachel...Do you hate me?" Scott asked.

Rachel was blown away by that comment, she thought that he hated her. She blinked trying to make sense of this. "What? Why would I hate you?"

"Because of how I failed-will fail-did fail...you know what I mean," Scott sighed feeling a little headache trying to talk about events that haven't happened yet. This was why he hated time travel stuff, it never made much sense to him and now he was dealing with it in real life.

"I couldn't protect you, or Jean. I mean we died and left you all alone, I know what that's like and I never wanted any children of mine to suffer through that. But I failed in that, you lost us and then your life went to hell because I wasn't there to save you. I failed you as a father and I just thought that you hated me because of it. Because of me you were branded and...I don't even want to think about everything they did to you."

Scott looked down at his hands and wondered just how badly he had to have screwed up his daughter's life. He only just met her and yet he felt that he was a failure as a father already.

Rachel however was having different thoughts, she never thought that was the reason he had been avoiding her. It wasn't because of her but of how he felt she must have thought of him. But what really touched was that he did care about her, she could feel the emotions coming off him from being this close and he wasn't shielding his mind at the moment either. Rachel felt her eyes stinging at what he said and she couldn't let him think that she hated him.

She lunched herself against him hugging him tightly as he nearly jumped from the surprise motion.

"I don't hate you!"

"But-"

"I could never hate you," she said feeling the warm tears falling down her face. "I never blamed you for any of it, I loved you both so much but I never once blamed you for it. Please don't think that I hated you."

Scott was surprised by this, he had thought that she hated him but she never hated him to begin with? He started to see and feel her shake a bit and figured that she must by trying not to cry. His face softened as he wrapped his arms around her. It was so strange holding this young girl that wasn't much younger than himself and yet he was holding his own flesh and blood. She seemed to bury herself deeper into his chest as he ran a hand gently over her back, he could feel a small wetness on his chest from her tears forming.

"It's okay now Rachel," He said gently to her using a hand to gently stroke her head.

Rachel couldn't stop crying even if she wanted to, she felt so many emotions at this moment. She knew that he wasn't the father she had lost but he was the closest thing that she would ever have to getting him back. A few long lost memories of her father holding her like this when she was a very young girl entered her mind. She had forgotten what it was like to be held by her father, or maybe she had just forced herself to forget so she wouldn't miss it.

But being in his arms she felt a level of comfort and safety that she hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime. She just wanted to bury herself in her father's warmth and just pretend like the outside world didn't exist. She could hear the beating of his heart and it was strangely comforting, so she let out all the pain she had bottled up inside. She just released herself and let the tears fall.

Scott just held her, even gently rocking the poor girl. Strangely enough he could almost feel like a father at that moment, but he wanted to protect this girl. He had failed in the future to protect her and he wouldn't want her to suffer again. So he just held her into the night just being there for the damaged girl.

**-Secret Location-**

In one of the many places across the world, the evil geneticist Sinister was working in one of his labs. This was a huge one with wall to wall metal and filled with various machines and devices, some that he had invented himself. At the moment he was looking at the computer data of the DNA results that his Marauders had obtained from the girl they had fought Selene and the X-Men for. He had to admit the results were very surprising, she was somehow the child of two of the subjects he had his eye on. She was the daughter of Jean Grey and Scott Summers. It was something he didn't expect to find and his mind was racing with possible explanations.

One was that someone else had made a perfect clone from both of their DNA but there was no trace of any of the hints that showed genetic tampering. So that was out, in fact the DNA showed that she was their daughter but then the question came as to how she came to be? All the evidence claimed a natural daughter through child birth but how could that be?

So he went back to find any clues, he had hacked into every system he could find any satellite coverage of the area on that night she showed up. What he found from a weather satellite was an unusual electrical storm, the really odd thing was that there was only in one small area and only for a few seconds. Most would have just overlooked it as a glitch but it was too much of a coincidence for him. He tried to find anything else and from a SHIELD satellite imagery he was able to get a look on something that even he had never seen before. That was a rare case for him but looking at it, there was nothing in the alley and then all of a sudden there was some kind of strange energy and then the girl was suddenly there.

He stopped the image replay and thought about what he was seeing. There were a few possibilities but he had to be sure of things. He would have to get there and run a few scans but if this was what he felt it was then he might be able to have found something that was very useful for his future plans. The girl was another thing, she showed to have great power just like he knew that any child of Jean and Scott would have. He grinned wondering what secrets he would be able to learn from her that is if she managed to capture the girl. The problem was that she was with Xavier it seemed and he would need to get the girl away from the mansion and split apart from the others. He would have to wait and watch before he could find the best opportunity to capture her.

He was just about to get some plans thought up when his computer started to alert him to an incoming communication. He checked to see who would be calling him as only a handful of people could have got in touch with him directly. When he saw who the computer identified he smirked, he had been expecting this call for some time now. He turned on the communications gear and on the screen a new image appeared. This was of a beautiful dark haired woman who hadn't aged a day they met back in 1905.

"Ah Selene looking as beautiful as ever," he smiled.

She gave a polite smile back, "Nathaniel I wish this was a social call but I believe you know what this is about."

"Ah yes the girl that we both have our sites on."

She nodded her head, "Yes. The girl has something hidden inside of her, she was touched by something ancient and powerful and I want to see what that power was. However what are your interests in the girl Nathaniel?"

He could have lied to her but in all honestly she was one of the few people that he was upfront with, she did the same honor to him so he gave it back. Plus if he lied to her she wouldn't trust him again and she was one of the few allies that he felt he needed. When you were immortal most allies were only temporary things that died and became dust. But Selene being just as immortal as himself was a long term investment that he had many benefits to. One of them was that she was only one in this world that was like him.

Someone of darkness that would do anything to any lengths to gain what they wanted. And they had all the time in the world to do it as well.

"The girl's DNA is very surprising and plus her origins are very interesting."

"How so?" Selene asked interested.

"Do you know of Scott Summers and Jean Gray of the X-Men?" He smirked a little seeing her scowl.

"Yes and what of it?"

"The girl is their daughter," he said simply and now Selene's face showed shock. It wasn't easy to surprise her either and it was nice to see that he could surprise her with this kind of information. He could already see the wheels turning in her head about the implications.

"You're sure?"

"Please don't insult me my dear," he said to her. "I'm certain. So if she is their daughter that raises many more questions, and I need answers to those questions."

"So what do you propose then?"

"Simple. You help me capture the girl, I get any information out of her and enough DNA samples to keep me satisfied and you can take your time in taking the girl apart for this power you seek." It was a simple deal and one where both sides would get what they wanted. So he wasn't surprised when Selene accepted the offer, he told her that she would have the Marauders for when they were ready. Selene couldn't trust the Hellfire Club or the Hellions, plus she looked like she took perverse pleasure in being able to command the very same group that had fought her not too long ago. They ended the communications and Sinister felt very content at that moment.

Another sound of his computer told him someone else wanted to talk to him, he sighed. Some days it just didn't pay to have a finger in every pie out there. With spreading himself out like that it was constantly busy. He checked who was calling and he was tempted to just ignore it but he knew that he couldn't afford to at the moment. He punched in a few commands as a holographic projection covered the area making it look like an apartment somewhere.

He clicked on another command as the image of Magneto showed himself on the screen.

"Report Sinister." He commanded.

Sinister never liked to take commands from his fool but he had to play his part to get what he needed. Currently he was supposed to be on a research mission looking into a possible mutant group operating together. What Magneto didn't know was that group was already taken care by the new Genetic Security Agency under Mason Eckhart. The GSA already had the mutants captured as they had been nothing more than a street gang. But no one knew about this except for him as he had an information exchange with Eckhart.

"I'm still looking but it looks like it was false information about this group," Sinister spoke to him.

Magneto didn't looked pleased although Sinister didn't understand way. The new Brotherhood was in the hundreds now but the man was still looking for more. Plus the fact that Magneto didn't accept failure in any form as well.

"I want it confirmed and then you are to report back to the Savage Land, Sinister." And just like that the video cut off. Sinister turned off the hologram as he really didn't like working for this man. His vision was so narrow and small minded. But then again the dislike was mutual between them it was only that they had a use for the other that they tolerated each other. But soon a day would come where he would have to break away on his own and when he did, he planned to also take a few promising candidates as well when he left. There were growing rifts inside of Magneto's forces, some felt he wasn't doing enough. Others felt like they weren't being recognized enough and were disgruntled.

Two such people who weren't happy were of course Omega Red and Juggernaut. Both of them were used to being on their own and making their own calls, plus they had their own personal vendettas that they wanted to complete and it wasn't a stretch that with Magneto's inactivity they felt they wouldn't be able to accomplish what they wanted. It would only take a bit more time before they decided to break off on their own as well.

He only could wish he could be there when everything blew up in his face, after all when all that happened the confidence in the people under him would waver and also his paranoia would also increase. The man didn't trust many people and always thought that those under him had their own plans, well in some cases like his he was right of course. But at any rate when several of his powerful mutants left to strike out on his own, his forces would be crippled for a bit as he rebuilds.

Now the only question was how many mutants he could convince to get on his side. But at any rate he had some plans to make.

**-X-Mansion-**

Rachel and Scott had stayed up for a couple of hours by now, after Rachel had finally calmed down they got to talking and this time is was more about their pasts. Rachel didn't know much about her family other than what she could remember of them. She was saddened to learn of her father's past, how he too watched his parents die in a plane crash and then separated from Alex for years. Each of them had thought the other was dead only to be reunited a year ago. It was nice to hear something good happened although when she learned of his life before Xavier took him in wasn't good. The orphanage sounded so horrible to her, how the adults and the students picked on him constantly and made his life hell.

And for the life of him Scott never understood why, his powers hadn't kicked in yet so there shouldn't have been a reason to. But they had and it had been the most miserable years of his life.

Rachel opened up as well about her own past, how she had been taken in and trained to be a Hound. How they branded her face and beat her when she didn't obey. Thankfully she had been a bit too young, the older women and some of the men the guards liked to go into their cells for their own pleasures. She could hear the cries in the night and it had been horrible. Then she talked about how she was forced to kill Alex. Scott was shocked by that but he didn't judge her he just listened to her. Then she told him how she had finally been freed and joined the resistance and of the final days too.

They had stayed up talking about each other's hidden pains and they felt closer to the other because of it. Maybe it was because they were family in a strange way, or that they had such sad pasts, or even some strange connecting they had that lasted throughout time and space. But at any rate both of them felt a bond had started to form between them both. As Scott glanced at the clock he saw the time and said it was most likely time for both of them to get some sleep. Rachel tried not to giggle as he usually had said it was 'bed time' to her as a small child too.

They walked up to the living quarters and they stopped at her door.

"Scott...thanks for talking to me tonight," Rachel said looking up at him.

He smiled down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey don't mention it. I know this is all weird I mean I know that I'm not really your father..."

"And I know I'm not really your daughter..." she said.

"But...well you're still family to me, okay?"

She could feel the tears in her eyes again and just nodded not trusting her voice. On impulse she hugged him again burying her face in his chest. He smiled as he returned the hug back, she didn't cry this time in his arms. She pulled back smiling up at him and he marvelled at just how much she looked like Jean it was scary. Although he thought that he could see a few traces of himself in her, it was subtle but he felt he could see a few things.

"So I'll see you in the morning Rachel," he finally said.

She nodded and paused for a moment, "Is...is it okay if just once I can call you, dad?"

He wasn't sure but he just shrugged, "Well, just between us okay. It will get some getting use to before you should say it in front of everyone. At least not until it stops being so, weird."

Rachel agreed, it was strange enough as it was, plus it most likely would make him very uncomfortable if she called him 'dad' all the time. But she really wanted to say it at least just once with him and maybe it was for the best if they were all alone anyway. That way it was just something for them and no one else.

"Okay, goodnight...dad." she said with a small smile as she went into her room. Scott smiled as well getting a funny feeling with her calling him that out loud. It wasn't bad or anything it was strange but it felt nice in a strange way.

Rachel went to change for bed and she couldn't stop smiling. In a strange way she was getting her father back, after all these years she almost had a father again. She felt so happy that she wanted to cry but she might have just used up all her tears earlier. She knew it would be a struggle and it would never be 'normal' between them but she was willing to have anything that she could get. As she slipped into her nice comfortable bed she curled up under the sheets fully content.

'_Thank you Commander,'_ Rachel thought hoping in some weird way that the Commander Freeman of her future could hear her thoughts.

'_Thank you for sending me back, thank you for giving me a second chance with my family and with my father and everything. I understand now and I hope you and the others can hear me. I know that with the changes I'll make you won't exist as you did but still I miss you and thank you all.'_

Rachel hugged the pillow close to her hoping that if Scott had opened up that Jean would as well soon. She wanted her too just as bad and if that was possible then her family would be complete. She had her uncle and father and now all she needed was her mother back in her life. She slept more soundly that night then she could ever remember as well.

**Next up chapter 17: Some Serious Talks**


	17. Some serious talks

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 17: Some Serious Talks**

Jean Grey was sitting at a table in the courtyard of NYU deep in thought. She was between classes and she was using the time to really exam things in her life at the moment. She had been surprised that morning when she found Scott and Rachel together talking. She felt uneasy being around the girl and decided to give them their space, but the fact was that Scott and Alex both accepted the girl so why couldn't she?

Jean had always just wanted a normal life, she wanted to be just a girl like how things used to be before mutants got exposed. Sure being an X-Men had been great but with things going as they were she had been having some serious doubts about being able to continue her role on the team lately. Her studies were very hard and she couldn't just up and leave any time she wanted and she couldn't go off on some adventures that were halfway around the country or even the world.

This wasn't like high school she was finding out and Jean was having a hard time keeping up her duties as an X-Man and student. The stress was starting to get to her but she wanted to be there for her friends and family.

Family.

That was the other thing that she had been thinking about. She was in no way ready for this kind of responsibility, she had enough going on in her life as it was. Besides she didn't like the fact that her future was being dictated to her. Sure she loved the idea of her and Scott having a family but she wanted it to be their choice and not that they might be pressured into it. Plus it was just so hard to look at the girl, she looked so much like herself at that age but the pain she could sense coming off her was too hard to take. She never told Scott or the others but she could feel Rachel more easily than others.

It was hard to keep the girl out of her mind, she had been spending time helping to make mental barriers to keep the girl's emotions out of her mind ever since she woke up. That day when she looked at her in the medical room she had sensed a connection of some kind, but it hadn't gone away. It had been getting easier to block the girl out but also she just couldn't handle it. It was just too much for her and she had no way of knowing how to act around the girl or even what to say.

Plus things had been also a little strained with Scott as well and it was worrying too.

So here she was sitting on a nice day all alone feeling miserable about herself. She just didn't know what to think anymore.

"Wow you look like hell Jean."

Jean's thoughts were broken as she looked up at a familiar red head. Mary Jane Watson, she had met the girl through Peter Parker, a friend she and Scott made here. Apparently Mary Jane or MJ as she liked to be called had been dating Peter before a break up as she went to LA to pursue a career in modeling and acting. She had gotten some jobs done but she had come back to New York. Apparently she hadn't been ready for a life over there yet and as they had gotten to know her, Jean had heard a few stories. Apparently one of the so called producers had tried to get sexual favors out of MJ and when she refused she had been fired.

After that MJ had said that her illusions of LA were pretty much shattered, but she had made a good amount and go she came back home to get some classes in as she got herself ready for that life here. She already had a few job offers and even went to some auditions for plays too. But she was also a very energetic and likable person and Jean was glad for another friend. She had Taryn again but it was still nice to make new friends.

"Hey there," Jean said as the other red head sat down.

"So what's wrong, I mean you look like you're stressing out."

"That obvious?" Jean asked with a sigh. MJ nodded her head and Jean guess that it really must be showing. She couldn't exactly say what was wrong, the last thing she needed was to freak out the other girl. MJ and Peter took to her and Scott being mutants easily enough but a daughter from the future, with a dark message of the future? She couldn't even handle this.

"Hey you can tell me if something is wrong, it's not between you and Scott is it?"

"Yes, no, I mean...well we had a bad moment but we're working through it." Jean admitted.

"Well that's good to hear," MJ smiled as she leaned forward. "But there's something else isn't there?"

Jean leaned back in her chair, "It's just that I've been feeling like I'm being pulled in so many directions at once. There just isn't enough of me to go around and I feel like I'm going to have a break down."

"Wow, okay sounds like you really need some time off," MJ told her.

"I can't!" Jean told her. "I mean I'm still in the middle of my studies and I can't take time off from that, the only time I get to see Scott outside of school is at home and then there's the...well you know."

MJ nodded her head, she knew all about the X-Men, hell you had to live under a rock not to know. And Jean's image had been on TV enough times for the red head to know that she was on that team, even without knowing she was from Xavier's. She had some things that she could related to this, after all having a boyfriend that dressed up as a spider being a hero and all. But she couldn't tell Jean and Scott this as it was a secret.

"Well it sounds like you need to cut something out of your life to be honest," MJ said.

Jean nodded, "I was thinking that but the only thing I could, I just can't do that to the others. I mean I can't just quit or else I would feel like I'm abandoning them."

MJ thought she caught the hidden meaning in that, "Well do they actually need you?"

That earned a look from Jean that looked both surprised and hurt.

"What I mean is you got how many people on the team and now many teams there?" MJ quickly said. "I mean can they compensate if you aren't there the entire time, plus maybe not fully leave but maybe I don't know...be put as kind of a reserve line?"

Jean hadn't thought of that option, but she needed more time to think about it. But the truth was she was over stressed with everything that was going on. She needed to quit something, and she couldn't put a hold on her and Scott's relationship as that was the one thing that she could find solace in. So she would have to give up on her dream and quit school or she would have to step down from the X-Men.

It was a huge decision and one that she wasn't sure she could make easily. So she decided that maybe she could put it off for now.

"Thanks I'll think about it," Jean said to her. "So then how are things going with you and Peter then?"

Jean smirked seeing the smile on the other woman's face.

"Going great," MJ said. "I really did miss him all that time we were apart. Sometimes I think breaking things up had been one of the worst mistakes I made but I'm a stronger person having gone to LA. I'm just glad that we were able to get back together and work things out. He's always been the best person I've known."

MJ did think that, he went out all the time to help people, putting himself in harms way and even if people hated him for it. He never stopped, no matter the pain he went through or how lonely things got for him. Plus there was more to him than that as well, he was always making her smile and happy even putting his own happiness aside for hers. So she did everything she could to make Peter's life better as well, he had to carry a large burden and she was all too happy to help him forget about it from time to time.

Jean couldn't help but smile at the feelings she was getting from the other red head. She could tell that she had strong feelings for Peter, and when she was in their presence of the two of them it was mutual. Jean also couldn't help but wonder how MJ did it, Peter always seemed to be running off at the oddest times. Scott thought something might be going on like Peter was seeing someone on the side but Jean doubted it. Peter didn't seem the type although whatever it was MJ seemed to know what it was.

Well she wouldn't pry, being a telepath she spent a lot of time making sure that she stayed out of people's heads and she also knew how intrusive it was. Whatever was going on she would let them decide on things.

So with all of that out of the way the girls decided to switch to less serious topics until they had to get to the next classes, after all spending their entire time just talking about their problems would just depressed them. Besides it was nice to just sit back and have a nice time with mindless conversations and gossip as well.

**-Sefton Household-**

Amanda Sefton had gone to visit her parents today, actually she usually went over to her parents new home every weekend and some other days during the week. After all after that accident had unlocked the x-gene that was dormant within her. The white force bolts that she shot out were something that took her a bit to get used to, the teleportation however was really cool. Kurt had showed her all the tricks to teleporting and she was liking it, now she saw why Kurt did it all the time. Although the energy demand on her body was high, like Kurt she had to eat more than normal to keep her from wasting away. Although on the plus side she was a few pounds lighter and she noticed that over the last few months she lost some baby fat in a few places.

And the best part was that she could pig out and finally not have to worry about her figure. It was a girl's dream come true. The last power she discovered was a limited shape shifting power, she could do someone of equal size and mass easily enough but when she had to alter her shape and mass, that's when it got tricky for her. It really took it out of her at first but she was getting better at it.

Looking around the new home she couldn't help but be reminded that the house she had grown up with was gone now. A group of mutant haters had torched her family's home with them still inside of it. Kurt had helped to save her parents, which put him back in their good graces thankfully. Now with the new home her family was getting back to normal. Although she still lived at the mansion, her family kept a room for her here when she stayed over.

At the moment she was having dinner with her family, with everything going on she wanted to see her family again. Listening to Rachel's story got her worried for the future, it started to make her think. Rachel didn't know anything about her in the future and with what could happen she was scared. What happened to her, to her family and friends and what happened to Kurt?

That was why she was here in a way, she needed to spend time with her family. She just wanted to spend time with them just in case the worst does happen in the future. It was nice to see them and to hear how things were going with their lives. She knew that since she had been labelled a mutant things wouldn't be easy and with her family as well problems were bound to happen. But they endured and as they've said they've lived with this kind of thing once before, a long time before she had been born.

During the dinner there was something else that she had been thinking about, she wanted to talk to her mother about something that had been on her mind for a long time now. But she really didn't want to bring it up in front of her father. He was a good man and a good father, but could also be a bit protective of her and she knew that he wouldn't want to hear the kinds of things she had been thinking about. So now she was looking for a way for her to talk with her mother with her father out of ear shot.

With dinner over she found an opportunity, she offered to help her mother with the dishes knowing that her father didn't like to do them so he wouldn't be in the kitchen. So after gathering up the dishes she helped her mother with the dishes, her washing and her mother rinsing them off as she placed them in a spot to dry off. Eventually Amanda got the courage to finally ask her mother something that she had been working up the courage to ask her.

"Mom can I ask you something?" Amanda asked as she was washing the dishes.

"Of course you can ask me anything," she smiled at her daughter.

Amanda bit her lip nervously, "How old were you when you felt you were ready for sex?"

Out of all the things her daughter could have asked her she knew that this conversation would have come up eventually. She sighed remembering what it was like for her at that age and how she had been. She looked at her daughter and could see she was nervous and now she knew why Amanda had offered to help her out. Amanda hated washing the dishes so she should have guessed something was up.

"So what brought this on?" she asked her.

"Well..." Amanda wasn't sure if she should tell her mother or not.

"Amada I can't help you if you don't trust me," she told her.

Amanda sighed and told her mother to sit down, it was a very long story. So she told her mother about Rachel, a girl from the future. Her mother was shocked beyond anything at this point, it had taken Margali awhile to get used to the normal types of craziness. This was something she never expected to hear and she needed a moment to get used to the idea. After that she listened in on the story and she didn't like it one bit. To hear how the world turned out and just how bad things got made her heart sink. She never thought things could get that bad.

She remembered how things had been when she was younger back when there was more of a gap between the races. She remembered being called a few names and treated badly because of her skin color. But hearing how things were going to get they were worse than anything she could have thought. Humans turning against mutants, and then those horrible Sentinel things coming back. And then those metal monsters would turn on the humans and start to exterminate all life it would seem.

"And that's the story mom," Amanda said to her mother. "I mean Rachel didn't even know me and Kurt so that means that we...we were killed."

Margali's heart froze in her chest at the thought of her daughter killed. She knew that it was possible ever since those people had burned down their home. Her and her family had nearly been killed and not by some mutant or mad man, but by normal people who were lashing out with their fear and hatred.

"I...I don't know how long we have anymore mom," Amanda said gripping her skirt tightly in her fists. "I love Kurt more than anything and I don't want to waste any time in case we are killed. I mean what if he dies in the next few months? That would kill me mom, I can't...I can't stand the thought of losing him. He's the most perfect boy I've ever met."

Amanda could feel the tears on her face. "He's had to live his entire life hiding who he was from the world. He didn't even have any friends until he came here, besides his parents he's been totally alone most of his life. One time the people in a near by village found him and they tried to burn him mom. They thought he was a demon and tried to burn him alive...you can still see a bit of the scars on his feet from when the fire was there before he managed to teleport."

"He's been through so much and yet he's got the most beautiful soul I've even known. He's so kind and friendly and loves to make others happy. I just...I know how happy I make him and he makes me happy too. He makes me feel so loved and I love him back just as much."

Margali smiled a little at her daughter, she could still remember what she had been like as a child and here she was pretty much a grown woman now. She sighed knowing how deeply her daughter loved the boy, somehow she had seen past his appearance where most couldn't. Even she would admit the boy's appearance took a little getting used to at first but her daughter never had that problem.

"Amanda I can't tell you want to do anymore it seems, you're grown up so much that I feel you can make this decision on your own." Margali said to her. "I just want you to make the right choice for the right reasons. I mean you shouldn't do this because you feel pressured into it, I want you to do it because he's the right boy and it's the right time."

"I...I know he's the right boy mom," Amanda said looking at her mother. "And well lately...I've been wanting to as well, but I wasn't sure how he felt."

"He's never made any kind of advancement?"

"No! I mean god he's so catholic that anymore he would wait until we were married before having sex I think. But when we're always together and things...well...you know..." She blushed at how hot and heavy things had become for the two of them. But always one of them would stop things before they do too much. Although sometimes she really did want to go further but she wasn't sure if Kurt wanted to either.

"Well it sounds like you two need to talk things out," she told her. "But just promise me that you'll be careful when you do."

"Oh trust me we all got that talk," Amanda rolled her eyes. Having the entire group go through that had been one of the most embarrassing things she could remember.

Her mother was happy to hear that point and the look on her daughter's face was somewhat amusing. "So I take it you just wanted to talk to me about this other than your father."

"You'd know how he'd get, it took him forever to accept Kurt. I really don't want him to know he'd just get overly protective." She explained.

She laughed a little at that, "Well you're our only child and you're his precious little girl no matter what age you are you always will be. But I do see your point, he was never really good at this sort of thing anyway."

Both women gave a small laugh at that point as well.

**-Chicago-**

It was one of the older cities in America, not the oldest of course but it had a rich history to it. Many remember the times of mobsters and prohibition but there was a lot more to the city than that. In the streets a young man in a brown coat strolled the streets as he made his way to a hotel that he was staying at. The man had short brown hair and shades that hid the strange red and black eyes he had behind it.

He was the mutant thief named Remy LeBeau also called Gambit.

After his little fun in Europe he felt it was time to come home to the US, although he did wish he could go back down to New Orleans he knew the kind of trouble that would cause. He was sure that the Assassin's Guild still were pretty mad at him and there were members in the Thief's Guild mad at him for leaving and causing the trouble too.

He thought back to his little adventures in Europe with Felecia Hardy, a woman after his own heart in a way. But things had gotten boring and for people like them that was a bad thing, they also started to have some arguments on where to go next, what to steal, how to fence it. They both had two different styles, she was a bit more subtle then he was but she wasn't as careful as him. When you had two people with two different styles it caused problems in this line of work, and they also kept arguing which one took the lead on which theft.

But it wasn't all bad, they had some good times, some great times actually. And the sex of course had been really good too. That always gave him a nice grin thinking about that, he sure would miss that but there were plenty women out there. So after one last goodbye between them they both decided to go their separate ways.

So he came back to the US to start over and this was the first city on his stop. He wasn't sure where to go, but he'd just got his bike out of storage and had saved up a nice sum of money from Europe so he could live easy enough. Although the major problem was that he hated sitting on his butt, he was a man of action and needed something to keep him interested. So he started to look for a few places to rob, high end things usually that were owned by less than legal establishments. He had no moral ethics (not that he would admit he had many) to get in the way or robbing criminals.

Besides that always made things more interesting.

He smiled at the counter to the pretty girl working there, who of course smiled back with a blush. He admitted he did love his effect on women. He made his way to his penthouse, after all he thought he could live in style now that he had the money. Normally he would pay in cash but it wasn't like he had that much on him all the time, so he just put it on his credit card. Little did he know that people were looking for him and that little thing would lead them right to him.

**Next up Chapter 18: A Thief Found**

**Well I got a poll up on if I should bother to continue the AGU series. I had so many ideas such as more Marvel characters showing up like Thor, Loki, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Fantastic Four. Not to mention a return of Kurt's father and a special few ideas too. I was even going to bring in Dracula (yes he did show up in the X-Men titles a long time ago actually)**

**But with the major drop in reviews this look like its going to be my last AGU story. Yes there will be some things not resolved but the ratings have dropped and it looks like it will be cancelled in a way. So depending on the poll AND how many actually review this could be the last story I ever do for the AGU series.**


	18. A thief Found

**Sorry for the wait, took a vacation. Still not sure if I'll continue but I am happy that more people are showing up finally, the reviews jumped from 6 to 20. That's a major improvement so after this I'll do a Reality Trip 3 and see where things are there.**

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 18: A Thief Found**

Kitty yawed as she went into the computer room, it was morning and she was still in her pyjamas. She could have phased through the room but she didn't want to ruin the equipment. It was early morning and she was just checking the system to see if it had any hits on Gambit's whereabouts. She usually checked it in the morning, then when she got home and one more time before bed. The program was running all the time but it still needed an operator at times to see where it was.

There was also the other programs running looking for Trask as well. With the information Forge gave her. Plus from what Logan told her he had asked Fury for help, although there was only so much he could do for them. She didn't know the full story but it had something to do with people thinking that Fury was showing too much sympathy to mutants, even though he did have a mutant team now under SHIELD. But Fury needed to show that he was still loyal to those he swore an oath to, he could help them still but he was very limited in the kinds of help he could offer.

Personally, Kitty didn't blame him after all he had a major job to do as it was. So she just hoped that they could find something before it was too late. By the date on the paper and in the news, Kelly was said to be making a speech soon and it was at this speech that he was killed. They were already planning on showing up to it but with Gambit they could hope to get some answers. She sighed as she sat at the main computer terminal as she scanned the programs running.

She was glancing at the usual hits, but so far they were nothing. A few times she had found other men called Remy LeBeau but they weren't the one she was looking for. One was an immigrant from France, another from near New Orleans as well as but he was over forty. A few others were from other places in America and then there were the ones from other places outside the country just in case. She told the program to ignore anything that led to the false positives. She never knew that there were this many people with that name.

She was just about to give up when a new name came up in Chicago of all places. She took a look but nothing much was known, only a credit card number and name was used to pay for a hotel room and a few other things. She noticed a plane ticket from Europe to the US was also in this person's name and she was about to put it in the 'false positive' pile when something caught her eye. It was a shipping bill paid for, it was for a motorcycle. She remembered that Gambit road off on one, although she couldn't remember the type of it.

It wasn't much but it was something so she kept on digging. There wasn't much and she was under the clock as she could be late for school. She couldn't think of anything that could help her out form a computer point of view. She just needed to find some kind of image of him there, but whatever security system they had it wasn't online either. It was getting frustrating and it wasn't like she could just call up the guy and ask if he was a mutant that they were looking for.

Her head gently hit the console as she let out a deep sigh and then after a moment an idea hit her. Why couldn't she call?

She looked up the hotel room and the number of the hotel. She then quickly went to the nearest phone and called up the hotel, she asked to speak to Mr. LeBeau's room. She gave the number of his room and her call was redirected to it. Thankfully she knew the room number and avoided any kinds of questions by the front desk as sometimes the front desk would ask for that to ensure that the person calling new their guest.

So she waited hoping that there would be an answer, just when she was going to give up the phone picked up.

"Hello?" Came a very family voice.

Kitty's eyes widened, she knew Gambit's voice too well after all the time she lived with him. She quickly hung up and ran. She needed to get the Professor and tell him that she found him. She only hoped that Gambit would stay in the area long enough for them to get to him.

**-Chicago-**

Gambit was returning after a nice night on the town, he got a few numbers from some very friendly girls who liked men with accents and charm. Although he was having fun he also found that he was getting a bit bored. The thing of it was he had no idea why he was so bored, if he ran out of money he would steal for it, if he wanted a woman's company he could easily find a woman for that. But lately it was just not enough, the challenge was still there but something was missing and it was starting to drive him nuts. He went off to find himself and it just seemed that he wasn't any closer to finding out what he was searching on the inside for.

It was starting to kill the nice mood he had going as well.

He passed the lobby and went up to his floor as his mood got worse and worse. He just didn't know what was wrong with him. It wasn't money that he wanted, and if it wasn't women then what was it? That normally satisfied him didn't it? He though back to the times where this void was present and wasn't present in his life. He remembered his childhood in the Thieves Guild, how he had been a part of something. He felt that he had belonged and he had his family, but then things got completely screwed up and he had to leave.

During that time he hadn't felt that alone since he had been on the streets as a child before the Guild took him in. He had been alone and then Magneto came to him with an offer. He didn't have anything going for him so he took it, it wasn't so bad. Okay sure he didn't agree with any of Magneto's ideals or his plans and of course he was sickened with a few things he had done. But Piotr had been a good friend he had made working there bearable for him. The fact was he missed his friend a lot more then he thought he would have. Then he had gone off and then he was pulled right back in with the X-Men. He had worked besides them a few times and he had only worked with them for a short time after he turned against Magneto.

It was a short time but he had to admit, that sense of belonging was back during that time. The only problem was the thing he had with Rogue. Okay, he would admit that the things they had shared had only been a few and he got a bit obsessive over her. She was the ultimate challenge when he first met her, plus she was attractive and she had this fire inside of her. But he had let things go for too long and she found herself with another. And of course that had never stopped him before and he made a few mistakes all for the sake of thinking with the wrong brain. It wasn't the first time that landed him into trouble and he got the feeling it wouldn't be the last.

So when things got bad he left, as usual it seemed. Whenever things got rough he ran, he ran from his home, he ran from Magneto and then he ran from the X-Men. It always seemed he was running and never staying long enough to take up the consequences.

He sighed as he walked to his room thinking about his life maybe that was the problem with him. He always ran and never once stood his ground and took it like a man. But it was a hard habit to break and it had kept him alive on more than one occasion as well. He put the key into the lock and entered the dark room as kicked the door closed. Suddenly Gambit thought he smelt something in the room, something that smelt like smoke.

He reached into his pocket for one of this stack of cards as the other hand was ready to go for his bo staff that he kept collapsed as well under his coat.

"It's rude to enter a man's room uninvited non?" Gambit asked as he felt the edges of a card between his fingers.

A light came on and he squinted as his eyes adjusted, he looked slightly over his shoulder and was a bit surprised to see who was sitting in one of his chairs.

"Gumbo, we've got a need to talk to you." Logan said to him. He had been sitting in the chair waiting for Gambit to show up. It wasn't hard getting into this room and he thought he might as well take the time to pull out a smoke as well.

"Well Remy left and if there is a bill he forgot to pay you can leave it with me and show yourself out," Remy told him not moving. He knew that the slightest movement Logan would detect so he had to be sure of his first shot because he knew enough he'd only get one really good opening shot with this man.

"You're coming with us Gumbo and there ain't no other way. We got some questions for you and we need those answers." Logan said to him.

Gambit wasn't sure what was going on but he really didn't like being forced to do anything. Plus him and Logan never did get along and he didn't really feel like obliging him just out of the principle of the thing. So he shrugged and slowly started to turn but at the last moment he jerked his body and threw out a few cards. They sailed across the room and Logan scrambled out of the chair as it exploded from the cards impact.

Logan snarled as he rolled and got onto his feet quickly, he could see Gambit was making a run for the large windows that had a balcony on them.

Gambit ran to the balcony hoping he could get there before Logan got to him. He didn't feel like fighting him in such an enclosed area. He needed more room to manoeuvre with a fight with Logan and he didn't have that here, so it was a quick retreat and then maybe start to figure out why they were after him. Whenever he got into a hotel he always looked for a number of escape routes, it helped to have them in case someone he stole from was able to follow him and wanted to pay him back for stealing from them.

In this case, there were a few other balconies that he could jump to and near the end of the row there was an easy jump to the next building over. There were a few other ways to get off that building when he got to it but it all depended on getting to the balcony first. He just managed to read the door and threw it open. He heard another door open and Logan yelling at someone.

So he had help it would seem he should have figured that Logan wouldn't be alone.

He was about to take his first step out of the doors when they glowed blue and were slammed back into his face. He jumped back to avoid the doors hitting him and turned to face Logan and who was with him. He would have groaned if he could at who he did bring with them. Standing there by the door was the Scarlet Witch and X23, two of the more dangerous females that Remy had met in his life. His odds with Logan were bad enough and now with those two things really weren't looking good.

He'd have to blow the door and then try his escape again but he would have to distract them first.

"So you're working with dey femmes now Logan?" He asked before throwing a few more cards around the area. They seemed to scatter but X23 jumped on straight through and leaped up to him. He placed his staff in front of him it caught her arms so he didn't have to worry about her claws just jet.

"Hello there petit," Gambit said winking at her.

She growled back, "Don't call me that."

"But you are on the short side non?" He grinned at her, he noticed her body tensing up and he jerked back falling as she tried to attack. The momentum carried her and he managed to throw her off him as he fell onto his back. But with so many people here he knew that he didn't have time to just sit still he had to keep moving. He rolled to his side as Logan's claws dug into where he had just been, he wasn't sure if Logan was trying to pin him down or not with that move. He just kicked out instead at the back of Logan's knee.

He then felt his staff being blown away and looked to see an angry Wanda looking at him. Then again he had a hard time remembering when Wanda wasn't angry but this seemed to be the more focused, I'm going to kick your ass and it will hurt kind of angry.

He tried to dodge her hex bolts but she seemed to have improved her aim since the last time he saw her. He jumped onto the bed and tried to make for the door to his room but one of her hex bolts managed to hit him in the side. The next thing he knew he was sailing throw the air and slammed into one of the walls.

Gambit put a hand to his head, he saw a few stars from the shot to the back of his head but he wasn't going to fall unconscious. He shook his head to gather himself and looked up. There was Logan, Wanda and X23 there looking down at him. Wanda's hands were already up and glowing ready to strike as were the other two. He thought about his odds and to Gambit they weren't good, he knew a lost cause when he saw one. Plus he really didn't feel like going a few more rounds with them at the moment, he couldn't see where his staff was and he wasn't sure, but he thought he lost a deck in the fight so he only had about half a deck left on him.

All in all he was screwed at the moment and he knew it.

"Remy is thinkin' that he's not gettin' his cleanin' deposit back for this room," Gambit sighed as he started to relax.

"That's the least of your worries Gambit," Logan said looking down at him. "Like I said we need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About you planning to kill Senator Kelly," he said to him.

For a moment Gambit thought he heard him wrong as he blinked a few times. "What de hell are you talkin' about, Wolverine?"

**-Amazon Jungles-**

Nimrod was nearly completion of its repair cycle, so far he had learned a lot about what happened to him. It had concluded it had indeed entered the past there was no question about it, now it had thought about its prime directives even further. It would ensure that its kind would still be created in the time stream and that the young mutant girl had been sent back too. The most logical conclusion was that the resistance forces were going to wipe its kind out of existence. Once repaired it would go off in search of the Creators, the ones that gave birth to the Sentinel kind. While it had been repairing more of the primitive humans had come to destroy it, from analysing their speech they thought it some kind of demon from the sky.

It had terminated them as its programming demanded.

Now with systems at ninety percent effectiveness it was ready to move. Slowly it got up testing out the newly formed body parts. They seemed to be working fine and it stood up as it got a detailed scan of the surroundings. There were no human or mutant life signs in the area but it had calculated the possible routes that the humans came from. It would terminate the settlement before it left the area, it could not afford to have any witnesses. Although the odds of them telling any humans and anyone believing them were slim, Nimrod would silence the humans in the area and also to help exterminate the flawed species.

Nimrod first accessed the data he had collected and filed away. He had scanned for the most dangerous mutants on the planet. They would be prime targets to take out eventually some of the most notable were Magneto although his location at the moment was unknown. Then there was Xavier, he was a planned target as were the X-Men. Several members would rise up to be leaders of the resistance and with them gone the Sentinels would rise up without much trouble. Other agencies such as SHIELD, SWORD, and a few others were also listed as targets. But first it needed to contact the Creators, Nimrod could give them more advanced technology making the Sentinels even more powerful than they were originally.

He brought up his GPS and locked in the way to Genosha, it was where its kind gained the very first powerbase in this time and it was where the Creators were as well. He activated the propulsion units in his feet and flew up on the way there he activated his counter measures to ensure that nothing in this time period could track it. Nimrod flew over the trees as he saw a few lines of smoke off to his right, it was logical that it was the village of the humans that he had encountered. He altered the flight plan to pass over it, it would sterilize the village on his way to Genosha and no one would know that the humans would ever humans had even lived in the area.

**-Bayville High-**

It was lunch time and several of the mutants were gathered around the usual spots. At one table sat Rogue with Vince next to her, there was also Kurt with Amanda, Kitty with Piotr as well. From their table they could see the others in various places. Kitty looked and smiled seeing Amara with Kai who was trying to best to get to know the boy better. All the girls knew the crush the princess had on the Japanese boy although given his recent losses she wasn't pushing things. Tabitha was with them smiling at the scene as she was next to Sam.

Kitty had to smile at the sight then she frowned, thinking back to earlier that morning. The Professor had sent Logan off to get Gambit but because it was just one man he didn't feel the entire team should go, plus they had school so he sent Wanda and Sarah with Logan since they were homeschooled. She guess that she shouldn't complain, now that they were known as mutants school was hard enough as it was then missing classes here and there.

There was a small commotion behind them and she turned to see the Hellions making a little trouble, mainly kicking some students out of their seats to take over a table.

"Man and I thought the Brotherhood were jerks," Kitty said looking at them.

"Yeah no kidding," Kurt agreed with his friend. "At least zhey veren't as bad, zhey veren't exactly good either but zhese guys are a lot vorse."

"Ah can't believe we're sayin' we actually miss them," Rogue muttered.

"Oh yeah zhe good old days vhen no one knew about mutants and ve fought vhen no vone vas looking. Back before mutant hate groups and all the new enemies ve made." Kurt said joking.

"Okay now I'm starting to actually miss a bit of the old days." Rogue sighed.

"Hey," Vince said to her knowing that he wasn't part of the 'old days' as they were.

"Oh sorry sugar not you, hell Ah couldn't even touch back then, you and my new control is a good thing that ah never would change." She said quickly.

"Glad to know it all means something then," Vince grinned at her and she smiled back.

"Well at any rate I'm glad what happened to me," Amanda said linking her arm with Kurt's. "Sure a few things I could have lived without but in the end I think it worked out for some of us. I like living at the mansion and I feel like I'm doing something important with my life lately. Like I found a purpose, I mean I have no idea what I wanted to do with my life but I feel like I have an idea now. Plus the fact that my family accepted and likes my boyfriend now is a bit bonus too."

She felt Kurt's tail slip under the table and wrap gently around her leg. She giggled at it as it was a secret way he showed her affecting without anyone seeing it. Plus she had to admit after she got used to how strange it was, it was now a familiar sensation that she liked.

"Oh yeah some things have gotten better that's for sure," Kitty giggled as she leaned up against Piotr who smiled down at her.

They continued on talking but then Rogue noticed someone walking towards them from out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look and she wasn't sure what to think, it looked like the new coach although she couldn't remember his name. Not that she cared much for sports the only really but he seemed to be heading right for them.

Rogue thought about that day when she told Vince to throw that football back and now she cringed at the memory. She should have known that was going to come back and bite them in the ass again. Rogue sighed as she nudged Vince with her elbow he looked at her surprised and then noticed where she was looking. He slumped down a bit as he was thinking the same thing she was.

Coach Murdock walked up to their table but the weird thing was he didn't look angry at all. In fact he had on a small smile on his face and they were left wondering what it was that he wanted of them.

Murdock stopped at the head of their table looking at the dark haired boy next to the girl with the heavy makeup on he had to admit the boy looked healthy enough. He cast a look at the other dark haired boy and he seemed bigger in person.

"I hope you don't mind me here but there was something I wanted to ask a couple of you kids." Murdock said to them.

"Uh…okay what about?" Vince asked as he saw everyone else at their table were just as confused. Mostly it was nice for just the teachers to ignore them in class but one going out of their way to actually talk to them was something rare that happened in this school. There were only a few teachers that openly talked to the mutant population, in not a hostile manner that is.

"I want to talk to you and your big friend here trying out for the football team," the coach told them.

There was utter silence at the table and a few others close by that were listening in as well. The mutants blinked a few times, a few of them remembered how Jean had been kicked off every sport team she had been on and all the trophies they had won with her on that team given back. After that it was kind of an unwritten rule that mutants wouldn't be allowed on any teams.

"Uh…Coach Murdock you do know that we're mutants right?" Vince asked him.

Rogue wasn't surprised he had remembered the coach's name but now she was wondering where this was going. She frowned wondering if the Principal would even allow something like this and then you get the other teammates, a lot of them wouldn't like a mutant let alone two on a team.

"I don't care about that," The Coach said to them waving a hand. "I saw that arm you got there boy and if I had that arm on the team we could get far. And plus your friend here is huge for his age, just how old are you?"

"I am nineteen," Piotr told him.

"So this is your last here huh, well what better way to make the most of your senior year then being on the team?" Coach told them. He wasn't sure if he should put the large kid in an offensive or defensive line. He could do both, with his size he could protect the quarterback but he could also look like he could force his way through most defensive lines.

"But it wouldn't be fair, I mean I can't really turn off my powers and I could hurt someone by accident in something like that," Vince told him. It was one of the things he hated about his powers, growing up he couldn't go out and play sports like all the other kids and the few times he did he had to hold back so much it wasn't much fun. Striking out on purpose, or missing shots, takings falls and all that other stuff just got old fast.

"Look I'm sure we can work something out but trust me this team is hurting. I got one great running back but I need a few key players in order to make this team work. I'm asking you because I saw what you did and you don't even have to hit someone, you'll be throwing the ball mainly. Kid I really need some new blood on the team." He told him.

"But I don't even know how to play football," Vince told him and it was true. He was more of a basketball and hockey type of guy.

"Yeah and I don't know if the Professor vould allow it anyvay," Kurt sighed.

"Well what if I talked to this Professor of yours and he agrees, will you two at least think about it?" He asked.

Vince shared a look with Piotr and the large man shrugged. Vince didn't think that Xavier would agree to it so he didn't see any harm, because he could always saw no later.

"I guess so if Xavier agrees that is."

The Coach smiled, "Great I'll be sure to talk to him at some point. All I ask is that you two keep an open mind."

With that he left the kids to their lunch and now Rogue was looking at Vince with that look he knew. She was not happy with his choice and it was clearly written on her face. He asked what was wrong and she proceeded to tell him how it was a bad idea. He said that the odds of Xavier actually agreeing were pretty slim and he just wanted to turn the guy away in a nice fashion. They didn't have many teachers on their side and alienated one wouldn't help matters either.

She let the matter go but something inside of her was nagging that this wouldn't be the end of this.

**Next up chapter 19: Interrogation**


	19. Interogation

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 19: Interrogation**

Gambit had no idea what was going on now, all the way on the flight back he had been given the silent treatment. At least they took his bike as well in the cargo hold of the X-Jet, but even with the cuffs they had on him he wasn't too worried. He had plenty of practice with them with police in his life and he still had those picks in the sleeve of his jacket he could palm and work on them if he really had to. His best time was under a minute but given how sharp they were keeping an eye on him he didn't think it would be a good idea.

He wasn't sure about Wanda, but given the training X23 had he had a hint she might catch him doing that.

Although the fact that Wanda and X23 were keeping a close eye on him he didn't make a move for them. He decided to break the ice a bit with his usual flair.

"So who do these belong to? Didn't think you were the kinky type, Wanda. Whatever would your dad think of that?" He grinned at her holding up his hands. Wanda gave him a glare that he had only seen a few times, and those were times that someone really got hurt by her.

"Okay, not yours then. How about you petit? Don't think Logan will like his little girl into dat kind of stuff, non?"

X23 just gave him a blank look not understanding what he was implying. Wanda was thankful that even though the young girl did know the basics about sex by now, she didn't understand a few other things. The only reason she knew was because she had lived in a house full of immature teenage boys who didn't care what they left laying around. A few of the magazines she had found were really not something she wanted to know how they got, although she had a feeling her brother was behind it. They always had enough to eat and other things when her brother went speed shoplifting.

Wanda glared at the man in a silent way of telling him to keep him quiet which thankfully he did for once. So the flight back was pretty boring, he tried a little small talk but of course he had to be stuck with two of the people that had the worst people's skills the X-Men had. Well there was Logan too, but he was flying the jet. So he just resigned to trying to get in some sleep on the flight.

He woke up to the jet shaking and at first he thought it was turbulence but they were slowing down so he guessed they were back in that underground hanger under the mansion. He finally felt the great machine stop as it was turning around, Gambit felt that was so they could go into take off quicker if they had to later.

"Well looks like dis is our stop ladies," Gambit smiled at them.

The only response was them getting up and grabbing him by his elbows and hauling him up and walking him out.

"Hey no need to be rough," Gambit said offhandedly.

They let him through the lower levels and he wasn't sure but the place seemed a little different in some areas. Had they upgraded the facilities below the mansion while he was gone or was it just his imagination? He hadn't really paid attention all that much while he had been here other than now to get around the place. He was led into what looked like a secure room of some kind, now this he was sure was a new addition to the mansion.

The place looked like some kind of cell, metal walls and floors. There was a bunk, a sink and a chair and that was pretty much it. Apparently they had decided that they might actually need to detain people at some point which they were now. He was put into the chair that was facing the only door and suddenly a new face showed itself.

"So this is him?" Rachel said looking at Gambit.

"Who is de new girl?" Gambit asked out loud looking at her. She was young and kind of reminded him of Jean but the tattoo on her face looked out of place.

"I'm Rachel Summers," she told him.

"Summers?" He asked curious. "Any relation to Cyclops?"

"He's my father."

Gambit blinked a few times, "Sorry, Remy must have hit his head at some point. He could have sworn you said dat you was his daughter."

"I am."

Gambit blinked a few more times, "Okay, Remy sure that he must have hit his head at this point."

"I'm from the future," Rachel said as she walked up to him. "And I was sent back to make sure that my future doesn't happen. One of the things that I was supposed to stop was an assassination against Edward Kelly as he was making a speech. You were the one that was arrested for his murder so that's why you're here now. Now you're going to tell us why you want him dead."

Gambit wasn't sure if this girl was crazy or not, but he certainly wasn't going to believe that he was going to kill someone. Okay sure his past wasn't that great but still, he wasn't an assassin, he knew real assassins from back home and he wasn't the kind of guy to do that kind of work.

"Look, Remy doesn't know what you're talkin' about. But Remy is no hired killer and I could care less about dat man. Plus why should Remy believe anything you say?"

Rachel stepped right up to him and gave him a hard look into his black and red eyes. "Then maybe I should open your eyes."

Remy's mind was then exploded with images, he saw ruined cities, he could see what looked like concentration camps filled with people. Some were obviously mutants but he got the impression that it was filled with both humans and mutants. He saw robots that reminded him of Sentinels only more advanced all over the place. He saw battles of humans and mutants fighting together trying to fight against them. He saw mass graves of those killed he saw a place where people were forced to serve by means that made him sick. He saw all this and he wanted it to stop, the images were too much and he wanted to shut it out.

He wanted to cry out for it to stop but he couldn't move or say anything.

Then as suddenly as it started it ended, he was back in the room in the chair panting and sweating. He felt a bit sick as all the images were slowly moving away from the front of his thoughts to be pushed aside. But he knew that he would never forget what he saw and he knew that they were real. They were just too real to be faked Gambit looked up at the girl and could see the haunted look in her green eyes at the images she must have relived to show him.

"Now please...tell us," Rachel told him a bit more softly.

Gambit just shook his head, "Remy is sorry but Remy honestly have no plans to kill dat man. Gambit only came back from Europe and had really no plans. Remy wish he could help but he can't."

Rachel studied him for a moment before she sighed and her shoulders shrugged, "He's telling the truth."

"Damn it, so what he just hadn't thought of doing it yet?" Logan asked.

"Hey, give Remy some credit, he was obviously framed." Gambit snapped at him.

Logan only grunted in response.

**-Xavier's Office-**

Charles was sitting at his desk he had some work to do lately, mainly trying to deal with the mutant underground as well as this whole affair with Rachel, as he was trying to come up with legal documents for the young woman although it wasn't easy to explain her presence either. So far he hoped that Jean and Scott could come to an understanding and help him with it, so far he was making it that she was a distant cousin of Scott as that could explain the last name but she looked too much like Jean. If Rachel took on the last name of Grey, it would help if she went to school in Bayville. Although that would be after, Hank was sure that she was ready. He was already testing her out and although the young girl showed very good intelligencer there were a few holes in her education.

She would have to take the home schooling course that Wanda and Sarah Logan took as well until she was ready for actually school life.

But there was another reason he was in his office and that was because he had the most unusual phone call earlier about the coach of Bayville High wanting to talk to him. He wasn't sure what it was, although the man didn't sound angry or anything in fact he seemed that he honestly wanted to talk to him.

There was a knock on his door as he gently said enter.

The door opened as Ororo walked in with Coach Bill Murdock entered with her.

"Thank you miss Munroe," Bill said her.

"It wasn't a problem at all Mr. Murdock."

"Please you can call me Bill, I get enough of Mr. Murdock or Coach Murdock at school." He said to her smiling.

Ororo gave a small smile back, "Well then you can call me Ororo then."

"Glad to hear it then," He smiled back as she left. He had to admit that was defiantly a unique beauty. But he could think about the woman later as he was here for an important manner as he regarded Xavier. He had heard the man was in a wheelchair but he carried himself like a man with purpose, there was an intelligence in the man's eyes as well. There was also a calming aura about the man and his first impressions was that this was a good man Although he hoped that he was good enough to see the point he wanted to get across.

"Well then, will you please take a seat then?" Xavier smiled and gestured to one of the chairs.

"Sure thing, thanks."

After seating down, Xavier was very curious as to what this man wanted. He obviously had no problems with mutants as he couldn't detect any kind of strong emotions regarding them. He never liked to read a mind without permission but feelings and certain thoughts did escaped another person's mind now and then. He could tell the man wanted something but there was nothing malicious about it, it was just nice to finally see another teacher at Bayville that was more mutant tolerate.

"So what can I help you with?" Xavier asked.

"Straight to the point I like that," Bill smiled as he leaned forward. "I asked a couple of your kids if they would join the football team this year."

Xavier raised one of his eyebrows in surprise, this hadn't been what he expected. After Jean was cruelly kicked out of all sports under Kelly no other mutants had shown up in any of the school sporting teams.

"Which students did you have in mind?"

"A Vincent and Piotr," He told them.

Xavier shifted a bit, not very comfortable where this was going. He had a bad feeling about where this was going and why he chose those two boys specifically.

"You are aware of their unique natures aren't you?" Xavier asked him.

"Of course, well at least one I mean that one kid has the best arm I've ever seen. And the Russian boy is huge his size alone would make for a great addition for the team this year."

"So you want them to cheat," Xavier said flatly.

"Hell no," The Coach said waving an hand. "Look the boys are natural athletes and sure I want that one with the arm to keep it up. But I'm sure there is a way to work around the whole powers thing. I mean I looked into the past sports teams and did that Jean Grey girl ever once used her powers to cheat as you call it?"

"No, I'm fairly certain that Jean never did anything like that," Xavier told him. He truly trusted that Jean never once used her powers in the sports teams she was on.

"Well there you go," Coach smiled at him. "It was unfair to kick her off the sport teams, hell she was a star player and Bayville's girls teams never got to anymore championships with her gone. I've got to build a new team for this year and those two would be perfect for it. Please, the school needs something to lift its spirits and also these boys are also a way for something else to happen as well."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Xavier asked him.

"Well I've studied sports for a good part of my life and this all just reminds me back when the color barrier was being broken in professional sports a few decades ago. Only this time it's a mutant barrier, now I know that some mutants are given abilities that give them an edge in certain areas but not in all areas. It's unfair to keep a person from playing or competing just because of who they are."

"I wouldn't be surprised if today there were some professional athletes that are secretly mutants, too afraid of being banned to step forward. You see I've done my research into you as well, you seem like a good man someone who speaks up for mutant rights."

"Well here is just one example, I won't lie to you. I really want these boys because I think I can win with them mixed in with my team. But I'm not blinded to what's going on in the world as well in the world, I've already got the principal to go along with this but only if I got your permission as the boys also wanted your permission as well."

Xavier thought about this for a moment, it was true that it could help open the doors for mutants. Some people were just naturally stronger or faster and with mutants was it any different? He also remembered what happened to Evan during that skating competition as well. But was it also fair to the others on the teams without those abilities as well?

"Well what of the other teams then? Surely they will resent Bayville for having mutant players and say it's an unfair advantage." Xavier asked of him.

"Then let them get their own mutant players to even the odds." He grinned at Xavier. "It certain would make things more interesting and once again it would open the door to mutants. Now I know not everyone will like this idea but there will always be people against change. Hell, I heard that mutants seem to be popping up all the time now so does that mean that humans are on the way out? If so how will we be remembered?"

"But that's way over my head, all I know is sports and I wanted to be remembered for doing something grand with it one day. I once was in the pros you know, until I busted up my knee so now I teach and train others. But this could change everything and honestly without this we will lose this season. I got a few good players but I need a few key places filled in order for us to be a great team. So what do you say, Xavier?"

Xavier had to admit the man had a passion and he wasn't hiding his true motives, he appreciated the honesty that this man was showing him. Although there was what others would think of this, he made a good point in breaking down barriers. His goal was to make a world where mutants and humans could live together in harmony and to show the world that mutants were not to be feared.

After everything that had happened with the Spears and his Power8, events and all the other things that had happened mutants needed a lot more good PR to the public.

He remembered the news on how there was so much tension and violence between humans and mutants in some areas and then there was that meeting he had with the Underground not too long ago. The arrival of Rachel showed him just how bad things could get and maybe this was one of the things he needed to think over. Before, Rachel came here he wouldn't allow it in case it met with a very large negative reaction but perhaps he needed to take a chance after all.

"I'll talk with the boys and if they agree to want to do this then I'll allow it." Xavier told him.

The man knew it was better than nothing, it was a lot of work to just get two boys on his team but he was sure that it would be well worth it. He smiled as he stood and nodded to Xavier, "Well it's better than nothing but I hope you understand if I hope the boys do this. I'll accept if they don't but at any rate thank you for your time and for hearing me out."

"Not at all and I thank you for taking such an interest in this." Xavier said as the man left him and he was left alone in his office. He wondered if this was just yet another small step in a direction that could eventually help to further mutant and human understanding. He looked out his window as his thoughts went into the matter.

**-Amanda & Blink's room-**

Amanda had been thinking long and hard about her talk with her mother and also of everything that was going on lately too. She didn't want to rush things with Kurt but on the other hand how much time did they really have together knowing the kind of the future they had left if they failed. They had been through so much danger already but with Rachel here things were even more bleak. She had changed for bed in a pair of cotton pants and a wife beater shirt too. She was holding something in her hand that she managed to get from the health center at school without anyone looking. She was embarrassed enough to have it let alone take one with someone looking.

Blink wasn't in their room yet but she wanted some time to think on things. She thought about her life with Kurt, he was the best boyfriend she had ever had. He made her feel beautiful and special and above all loved. Kurt had such a beautiful soul as well and she liked the blue and she actually loved those yellow eyes of his. She thought about all the times they were together, laughing, playing and being tender with each other. There were other times with more passion in them, the feel of his sharp teeth on her tongue as she kissed him deeply and the way his hands roamed her without them going anywhere she didn't want them too. Plus the feel of his tail slithering along her leg and thigh always made her heat up.

Just thinking about those times was making her flush and feeling hot. There had been times when both of them wanted more but both had to stop themselves but as she thought about it she didn't want to stop it anymore. She was tired of them putting things on hold, she wanted to feel something with Kurt to share something with him that meant a lot to her.

With her mind made up she got off her bed and teleported in a flash of white light.

Kurt had just been getting his bed ready when he heard and saw the flash of light behind him, he only knew one person who did that. Although he was in his boxers and shirt that he normally slept in, he wasn't worried about her seeing him in it, hell everyone saw everyone in their sleep wear in the mornings at breakfast at times or late at night. Of course seeing her in that kind of a top she had on was certainly something he didn't mind seeing either.

"Hey vhat's up, Liebe?" Kurt asked her.

"Kurt," Amanda slowly said walking towards him she placed her hands on his chest as she leaned in and kissed him. It was gentle at first but soon he found her deepening it, so he returned it. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer, she slipped her own around him as he groaned feeling her pressed up against him.

Finally they had to break for air, she started to kiss his neck as she started to rub against him lightly.

"Oh god, liebe, vhat's gotten into you?" Kurt groaned loving the feeling but not sure why she was doing this.

"Kurt you know I love you right?" She said into his ear.

"Ja."

"Well it's just that I know we said we would said a few more months but I can't wait any longer," She told him nuzzling his neck. "I want us to be together tonight Kurt, I want us to make love but if you're not ready I understand. It's just that I don't think I can wait any longer because the world lately has just been so dark and I want something beautiful in my life with you."

She pulled back slightly looking down, "I'm sorry I don't want to pressure you and I can still wait for you. But I thought I should just let you know."

Kurt couldn't believe this, he wasn't still sure what brought this one but all his life one of his deepest desires had been for someone to love him, to look past his body and actually love who he was on the inside. When he found out that Amanda knew what he looked like and didn't care he had never been so happy in his life. When they started dating he felt like he was the luckiest man on the Earth.

And now this angel was telling him that she wanted to give up something to him that she had never done before. He loved Amanda so much that it hurt at times, to know that someone as beautiful as her wanted him made his heart fill so much it was nearly bursting. And the truth of the matter was that he did want her, she was so amazing and so beautiful.

Of course he had made a promise to himself he should wait until they were both eighteen but that was months away and he was all worked up now too and she had to go and tell him that. He knew that the proper thing was to wait but he might never find a woman like this again in his life, she might be the only one for him and he was after all still a young man. So in one moment he let his emotions guide him.

He captured her lips surprising her as he drew her to him again. Amanda moaned into the kiss as she felt like her world was spinning. She wasn't sure how but she found herself on his bed as he was kissing her neck making her moan. He suddenly stopped and she groaned out in protests, it had been going so good.

"Kurt?"

"I uh...ve don't have any protection," Kurt growled out frustrated that he never thought to get any just in case.

Amada giggled as she reached into a pocket in her pants and pulled out the small condom package that she got. "I uh...thought it best to be prepared in case you said yes," she blushed.

Kurt only smiled as he captured her lips and not for the last time that night.

**Next up Chapter 20: Assassination Plot**


	20. Assassination Plot

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 20: Assassination Plot**

Amanda was slowly waking up to a very pleasant feeling against her body, there was something soft and warm pressed up against her. She tightened a bit wanting to bury herself in the warm sensation as she snuggled closer to it. It wasn't until she noticed that whatever it was slowly moving and so she slowly opened her eyes. She could see her hand resting on a chest she knew very well, it was Kurt's. She shifted slightly and felt the covers on her bare skin all over her as well as her body pressed up against his very naked body.

She blushed remembering last night and what they had done, but she didn't regret it. She couldn't stop the smile on her face as she rested her head on his chest listening to him breath. She felt his arm around her and his tail was wrapped around her thigh. She blushed a bit more remembering how inventive he had been with his tail, she never thought about his tail when she had wondered what sex would be like with him but after experiencing it she was wondering what else they could do once they got more experience?

Kurt moaned as she tried to move but not with her weight on him, this caused him to slowly wake up.

Kurt was staring at the ceiling wondering if last night had been a dream, at least until he noticed the presence pressed up against his naked body. He looked over to see Amanda's smiling face and he couldn't help but smile back, she looked beautiful in the morning. Even with her hair slightly messy she looked like an angel to him.

"Morning," She said.

"Morning yourself," he said back.

"Kurt, thanks for last night it was the best night of my life," she told him.

He grinned he hadn't been sure as he never had sex before. Sure for him it had been amazing but he had been worried that she might have been faking for his benefit but seeing the look in her eyes he could tell she wasn't lying to him. Truth was that last night had been the most beautiful memories of his life. Sometimes he thanked god that he found this angel in his life and he did so now.

"So, no regrets?" He asked.

"Never," she said sliding up and kissing him gently on the lips. He moaned as he pulled her closer to him he had to admit that waking up with a beautiful girl in your bed was nice and the way she felt against him was even nicer.

Unfortunately Amana could feel just how nice it was getting for him and pushed up, "Sorry Kurt I only had the one condom and we better not start again since we can't finish."

He sighed trying to push his hormones back down, which wasn't easy at the moment but she had a point. He looked at the time and groaned, "Looks like ve vill have to do zhis again later, even if you had ve vould be late."

Amanda looked at the time and sighed, she had been enjoying the morning cuddle and by the looks of it she would have to get back to her room quickly for a shower and change of clothing of they would be late for school. Amanda removed herself from Kurt's bed, no matter how much she didn't want to go she had to. She winced a bit feeling a few sore parts of her body, when Rogue and Jean mentioned a bit of their sex life they never mentioned that. But it wasn't too bad so she went to get her underwear back on at least.

Kurt couldn't help but steal a look, she looked better in the light but he knew that given how long it took him to shower he couldn't stare all day. He wrapped his arms around her kissing her neck telling how much he loved her. She smiled as she nuzzled his head with hers telling him the same before he made himself let her go so she could teleport to her room. Kurt just smiled as he went to the bathroom to make sure he was totally cleaned up.

Amanda saw her room when the light faded and was just about to get herself ready when she forgot that she didn't live in this room alone.

"Where were you all night!?" came a familiar voice that made the dark skinned teen jump.

Amanda quickly turned around to see a very worried Clarice there, "Oh god I'm sorry I forgot to tell you I might not be coming back."

"Well I was worried sick," Blink told her, "I mean I thought you were staying up late but when I woke up this morning and your bed wasn't slept in I was starting to worry. Where were you and..." it was then that Blink noticed that her friend was only in her underwear holding her clothing to her chest. "Why are you practically naked with your clothes like that?"

Although Blink had an idea of what Amanda had been up to but she wasn't sure if she should jump to conclusions. After all there could be a logical explanation for it, but then she noticed the love bits on the other girl's body. On her neck could be explained but not the one on her thigh or the one she saw just above the bra on a breast. Blink's eyes widened as she saw the blushing face of the girl in front of her as well.

"You didn't..."

"Yeah, I did," Amanda admitted.

"Oh my god you slept with Kurt," Blink was just more surprised than anything else. She thought they wanted to wait a bit more although she felt better knowing that she had been alright all that time.

"Sorry I worried you Clarice, but I just needed to go and see Kurt and well, I needed to tell him that I was ready and apparently so was he," Amanda put her clothing away as she went to pick out the new outfit.

Blink sat down on the bed, "Wow, well next time can you just give me some kind of warning when you guys are going to, well you know. Just so I don't worry sick like today. So can I ask you...how was it?"

"Clarice!"

"I'm sorry!" she said quickly, "it's just that I was curious, I mean you kept talking about how you wonder how your first time with him would be and I just wanted to know if it was what you thought it would be like."

"Well, it was close but it was better since it was real," Amanda giggled remembering a few moments in particular. "but we can talk later, I need to shower and get ready."

"Don't forget to cover up the scent." Blink said as Amanda started to walk into their shared bathroom.

Amanda groaned remembering how Vince and Rogue got caught after they had had sex for the first time because if had been on their clothing. She made a mental note to do her own laundry this time and to add in some perfume with some of her scented shampoo as well. Sometimes living with a few people with a strong sense of smell was worse than telepaths. At least the telepaths could block out thoughts but blocking out smells was a lot harder.

**-Lower Levels-**

Xavier was in the war room with the other adults (minus Storm as she was still angry with Gambit so they decided it would be safer for him if he kept his distance from her) as well as Gambit although they had found that he wasn't responsible they still weren't too trusting of him just yet. So far they had the information on Forge's retrieval of the device that Rachel gave him. So far there wasn't much only that there was the assassination of Kelly that was taking place in a few days.

"Isn't there anything more that we can get out of this thing?" Logan asked looking at the screen with the news paper scan on it.

"Sorry, I'm still sifting through all the data but so far nothing much more on this event," Forge told him. He was feeling a little tired as he had been pushing himself lately. This was the thing that he was good at, he wasn't much help in the field and that's why he wasn't on any of the teams. He felt like he was just a bench warmer at times and he needed to pull his own weight with this, this was something only he could really do and he had been working nearly none stop on it. It was taxing and Hank kept telling him to get some sleep but he had been skipping on the sleep, besides he could sleep in classes at NYU anyway as they were simple for him.

Gambit was looking at the image on the screen, it was kind of odd to see his own face there as police were hauling him off to prison for assassination. He read the article but it didn't say much although something was odd. "Hey, why does it say here dat Gambit shot him with a rifle?"

"Maybe because ya did." Logan said.

"Gambit doesn't know how to fire a rifle," he said glaring at him, "You need to know how to shoot one of those in order to hit someone and Gambit is sure dat he can't."

"How the hell do you know that?" Logan demanded.

"It...was an ex-girlfriend who knew dis kind of stuff," Gambit said not wanting to get into the Assassin's Guild and the mess that happened with Belle and her family. That was one thing he regretted, he had loved that girl but her family hadn't approved of him being from the Thieves Guild and then things got nasty, hence why he had to leave or there would have been war on the streets of New Orleans.

"If this is true then maybe Gambit was framed," Xavier wondered.

"Thank you!" Gambit threw up his hands as finally someone was starting to sound reasonable.

"At any rate we need to be there to prevent this," Xavier said as a map of the area was shown. "So far we can cover a good part of the area if there is an assassin there."

"Can we handle that much of an area?" Rachel asked looking at the map, there seemed to be a lot of ground to cover for a sniper.

"Kid's right about that," Logan said looking at it. "Maybe I can get in touch with Fury and he can put his own people in on this as well, although I sure as hell don't like to look forward to telling him just how the hell we know of an assassination plot against a senator before him."

"At any rate perhaps he should be called in," Xavier said. "If we do this without him things could get tense. We need more help and also with a matter like this he needs to know, plus if we tell him everything he can help prevent the future as well. We all need to work together or else we could end up making a bigger mess out of things."

"Charles?" Hank asked seeing a downcast look on Xavier.

"It's just that maybe we've been doing so much by ourselves, it's true we've only tried to help but at the same time if we had had more help certain things might not have turned out as they had." Xavier was remembering that conversation with the Mutant Underground not too long ago. He had taken on all these problems on his own and look at how some things had turned out because he had taken action on his own. If he wanted to help the world maybe he should try and share the burdens of it as well.

"Well I better go make a call," Logan grumbled as he left the room. He had to think of how to tell Fury without having the man think he was insane and hang up on him.

"So what about Remy?" Gambit asked. "You think dat Gambit is just going to sit back and let someone use him for this?"

"We don't know your full involvement into this so I think it is best that you stay here for your protection," Xavier told him. "If the assassin is out there and is planning to use your image to commit this crime or somehow managed to capture you and use you so if you're here then you're safe. Plus if whoever it is sees you it might change the plans they have too."

Gambit scowled at that, he didn't like the idea of just sitting around on his butt waiting for this to happen. He needed to do something but he knew that they wouldn't let him, so it just meant he would have to find his own way.

"Remy doesn't like this but guess he doesn't have much choice in dis," He muttered walking off. Although he had to see how he could get to DC with them without any of them noticing at least until it was too late to do anything about it when the time came.

**-Washington DC-**

Senator Kelly was walking the halls of the building he was working in. He was surprised when he was asked to join another senator and not just any senator either. This was Harold Saxon, this man had given him the large campaign fun that he needed to run for the election and not only that but he heard it was this man that made it possible for him to be put on the committee for superhuman affairs. In just a short time he had been put on a major committee, that was unheard of but it was all thanks to his man.

He was in truth a bit nervous about it, from what he heard Saxon was a very powerful man with a large influence in the political world. He made his way up the floors and came into the office of Senator Saxon, the secretary let him through and he was now standing in the office of a man that he actually owed his entire position in.

"Please take a seat Kelly," the man said as she was talking on the phone. He ended it quickly enough as the tall, broad man turned to look at him with a smile. "Well now I know you're wondering many things, such as why I called you into my office for starters."

"I'll admit I am wondering that," Kelly said a bit nervous.

"Tell me what do you think the greatest threat to this world is?" Saxon asked.

Kelly's face turned into a scowl at that, "Mutants obviously."

"Just them?" Harold asked him with a raised eyebrow.

"Well sure there are other threats but mutants are the worse," Kelly told him.

"Why, what makes them so dangerous?"

"Because of those powers of theirs? How can a normal human defend themselves against something like that? I've seen how destructive and dangerous those people are, they cause nothing but damage and threaten the lives of normal people everywhere."

"I see," Harold stood up and walked over to a wall. There was a small panel there as he punched in a few commands as the window shutters closed and a huge part of the wall moved away as a screen was shown.

"What if I were to tell you that there are others out there with powers like mutants but who are in fact are not mutants?" Saxon asked him as he took a remote and started up the screen. "I know what you're thinking but think about the name for a second of the committee you're in? The committee for super human affairs, if it was just for mutants wouldn't we have said mutant affairs?"

"B-but if that were true then why hasn't anyone said anything?" Kelly demanded shocked by the news. He only thought that there were mutants but to learn there were others out there with abilities was not something he had ever thought was possible. Plus why would this be kept secret if mutants were already exposed to the world? It just didn't make sense to him it was also frightening as well because now there were more freaks out there.

"You see in World War II, this country was the first to experiment with enhancing humans. Mainly this was used to fight the Axis powers of course, the most successful of that time was Weapon I, better known as Operation Rebirth." Tanks and science equipment were shown in black and white pictures.

"At first we used volunteers," images of all African Americans being injected with something were now shown.

"However there was only one partial success, the real success came with a figure you should remember from history," Now the famous icon was shown of a man in a suit that looked like it was pure patriotism. It was Captain America the hero of WW II.

"Well he was different, that man was a patriot," Kelly told him.

Saxon shrugged as though that meant nothing, "Still it didn't stop there. Germany had their own answer to him in the form of the Red Skull and it didn't end with the war. The old Soviet Union not wanting to be left behind did their own super soldier programs one of the most successful was this man."

A more recent image of a man with pale skin, white hair with metallic tentacles coming out of his wrists was shown.

"This is Omega Red, the Russian super soldier. Currently he's thrown his skills for the mutant terrorist Magneto although those in the intelligence community think this is only temporary as after the fall of the Soviet Union he's been jumping around from employer to employer. And he's not alone either, other countries for years have been experimenting on humans to create the next weapon. There are still those trying to recreate Operation Rebirth as well in this country. The last Weapon program I believe was the Weapon X program the tenth try."

"Now there are others as well who may or may not even be the results of experimentation. There are those that have been given their powers by accidents that should have by all rights killed them. Many of them have turned their powers to crime and hence are locked up in special prisons like The Vault where they are kept in secret. Sometimes they get out as well but others are still there."

Kelly watched as images of various things, there was small footage of the army fighting what looked like some giant green monster, people in costumes using strange powers and abilities, monsters and other such things appeared. He couldn't believe that anyone could keep this all so quiet for so long. Then an image he did know show up.

"Spider-Man?! I thought he was a mutant with a costume?"

Saxon chuckled at that, "Yes some thought he had been a mutant. But we've been developing a scanner for mutants but he's never triggered it and since there are so many various ways to get super human abilities it's just impossible to program something like that. So we've been trying to think of other means but so far nothing conclusive."

Kelly felt like the weight of the world was coming down on him, just when he thought he knew the major threats to this country it just looked like more had been there all along.

"The reason I'm telling you all this is because I liked your single minded determination when you ran for office," Saxon said as he shut down the screens and the shutters opened up again. "I need men like that but you also need to know that there is more out there then just mutants, I want your determination but I can't have you blinded by your hatred for mutants-yes I know you say you're just looking out for people but let's be honest here, what you have is nothing more than hatred for those that are different."

Saxon smiled as he got behind his desk, "Don't worry, hatred is an emotion that can be used as a weapon. What you have to understand is that the world is changing. Soon we won't be able to hide these, the Genetic Security Agency is one step we've taken but we need more than that. There are other forces out there that need to be controlled and I think you're such a man to help spearhead this new movement as well."

Kelly looked up in surprise, "Me?"

"Yes you, I think you're perfect. In a few days we're holding a speech for the people to let them know that we are the defenders of this country and that we will look after them. Some of what I've shown you has been approved to show in public and we will use this to help get public support on our side. Now the thing I want to know is that are you the man for this job? Will you help us keep this country safe?"

Kelly sat up straight in his chair, "I am."

"Good, I'll have the details sent your way and if you need any help with the speeches I know a few people who are good at this sort of thing."

"Thank you, you won't regret this I promise you." Kelly said smiling as he left the office.

Harold Saxon smirked as he turned to face the window he had to admit that Kelly was the perfect tool. He was so motivated by his hatred that he was blinded to anything else. It didn't hurt that the man was a fool as well. The only real reason that Saxon had pushed him and ensured that he won the election was because he was the perfect pawn. Kelly would jump through any hoops that were put in front of him if you knew the right bait for him.

Saxon sighed and shook his head at the level of stupidity that people voted into positions of power but then again that was one of the reasons he was in a position of power, because he knew how to exploit the masses. The truth was he didn't care much for mutants, humans or anything else. He would use anyone if it furthered the goals he was working for. All these people who had 'power' used them in the most idiotic ways either political power or super powers.

They all needed to be controlled that much was true but only because it was all part of the Master plan. Or should he say, the Master's plan for the world. He grinned at how easy it would be to manipulate the pieces of the board to get them all lined up and ready for the next part of the plan.

**Next up chapter 21: Counting Down**


	21. Counting Down

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 21: Counting Down**

It was getting late that night at the mansion and Jean was still up and about. She was working late on work for school starting to feel the stress of trying to do too much. Hank's help was very good but she still needed to do a lot of the work herself and it would take years to do. She was getting tried a lot of the time lately and she hardly had any life it seemed outside of school or the X-Men. Even the few times she managed to call up Taryn, her old friend could tell she was being over taxed.

It would be nice if she could have more free time, repairing her relationship with Taryn wasn't easy but she liked being able to do it. Plus it wasn't like she had many friends outside of the mansion either. There was Peter and Mary Jane at school which was nice, but she could still feel like she needed a more stable life. And lately everything had been anything but stable, with Rachel showing up and her story of just how bad things got was seriously depressing.

At times she was thinking if what she was doing was even worth it, what if they tried to stop things but they only got worse? Or what if trying to stop it was what started it all together? It just gave her a major headache with all of this. To make matters worse she couldn't figure out what to do with Rachel either, it was just that with everything going on how was she supposed to handle this? Technically the girl was and yet wasn't her daughter so how to you deal with that?

She knew that Alex and Scott had already accepted Rachel and Scott had talked to her about their daughter but she just still wasn't sure what to do with her. She sighed as she pushed her books away and decided to go for a small walk to unwind before going to bed stressed out. Maybe try a meditation technique? That was one of the things that all the mutants with mental powers had been doing lately, thanks to Vincent and Kai teaching them certain techniques.

It was very helpful for stress but also very helpful to keep one's powers in check. Dani and Gale were doing much better now with daily meditation. Dani felt that she was holding back her nightmare powers and Gale's empathic abilities were getting to the point where she wasn't picking up random emotions all time. It was still hard on her but she was getting better and blocking things out.

But right now she just need a walk, maybe something to drink and relax a bit. She went through the mansion, although it was dark and with the new additions it was fairly easy to find her way. It was amazing how much had changed in the years she lived here. She smiled remembering how easy things had been looking back. If she knew what she knew now she would have taken the opportunity to have enjoyed herself more, well that and had never dated Duncan Mathews at all that was a mistake she never wanted to repeat.

After a small drink and a little walk around, letting the memories of her younger days putting smiles on her face she felt better. Jean was walking back to her room when she felt something on the edges of her senses. Being a telepath made you susceptible to very strong or intense emotions and she was feeling that as well. Maybe someone was having a nightmare? It wouldn't be the first time she had picked up on that in this mansion before. It was a very intense one as well, the closer she got to it the harder it was to ignore it. There was so much pain in it and something familiar as well, she moved closer to the source and found herself outside of Rachel's room.

She paused for a moment unsure if she should go in or not at first, but feeling the emotions inside of that room her sense of helping others took over. She slowly opened the door and saw Rachel on her bed, the sheets were thrown around as she had been tossing and turning in the bed. She was mumbling something in her sleep and Jean slowly walked towards her. Given Rachel's powers were so much like Jean's, she was being careful in how to wake her. There had been a few times when Jean had been woken up with a shock and her powers had lashed out.

Usually it was a minor thing, like an object being thrown like someone had hit it, a few times it was a bit more powerful. So the last thing she needed was to have Rachel to throw her across the room. Jean gently sat on the bed as she took the young girl's shoulders and gently tried to shake her. That had been a mistake, as Jean had never touched another telepath in this kind of state before. In fact Xavier was the only true telepath around and they had very little physical contact. One reason was because for a telepath, touching a person only heightened a telepath's senses of a person.

As soon as she made contact, her mind was flooding with images of Rachel's life. She saw the dark cages where they kept the hunters and how they trained them. She saw an older version of her and Scott, they were yelling at Rachel to go apparently she was being carried by someone that Jean couldn't see the face. Or maybe that Rachel just didn't remember the face herself, either way Jean saw the young Rachel crying out to her parents. There were many other images, battles, deaths so much death actually.

It lasted only a few seconds on the outside but she had no way of knowing as her sense of time was obscured like in a dream. But eventually Jean found the will to shut the door in her mind and shut out the images. But as she was brought back to the real world she gripped the bed to steady herself, the damage was done. Jean had just felt Rachel's life story in her own mind, it was in there and it would never totally leave her.

Jean's eyes shut tight as the overload of emotions hit her, she felt the tears and bit her lip from crying out. There had been so much, maybe even too much for her but looking at Rachel, Jean's heart broke as ghosts of memories hit her.

Rachel woke up feeling the intrusion in her mind breaking her out of her memories. Rachel wasn't totally aware of the outside world, she was too busy with the torrent of emotions running through her but she did feel a familiar presence. Jean could feel Rachel as well, whatever bond there was had been strengthened. Some primitive part of Jean's mind after touching Rachel knew that this was her offspring, that this girl came from her body and was a part of her.

She instantly wrapped her arms around the younger red head to comfort her.

The young woman was still sobbing and clutching to Jean like she was drowning. Jean could feel the young girl shaking as well and feeling all that pain and something else. That longing sensation, it was so deep and primal that it reached out from Rachel and into Jean. It was a longing for a little girl for her mother and Jean felt her throat tighten up as she closed her eyes and held the girl close.

"It's alright, I'm here." Jean said softly as she stroked the young girl's hair.

"M-mom?" Rachel sobbed out. She could feel the tender touch of both Jean's touch and her mind. She had forgotten what it was like to be held by her mother. The physical and mental bond that made her feel save and loved. She hadn't felt anything like that since the deaths of her parents.

"It's okay..." Jean whispered as she rocked her back and forth. "I'm here."

Jean couldn't turn away from this girl anymore, yes it wasn't easy to take on the responsibility but after experiencing all of that she just couldn't leave her alone. There was so much pain inside of her but under all of that when she had seen those few memories of her, and Rachel and Scott together as a family there was one thing that she did feel. She felt the love that Rachel had for her parents, the unquestioning love that children have for their parents.

Jean wasn't sure but for now it felt natural to hold the girl, linking up with her had done something. She felt protective for her it was like her whole perceptions had shifted slightly. Maybe linking with her had made the maternal part of her show up, or experiencing everything that had happened had opened her eyes. Plus she had even felt how Rachel felt when she had been ignoring and avoiding her. Jean hadn't known that she had been causing the girl that much pain but at the moment she would think on it later. She had a daughter to help.

**-Genosha-**

On the island nation of Genosha it was a beautiful vacation spot in a tropical climate, at least on the outside. On the inside however it was an oppressive society that used mutants as nothing more than slaves and also was underway to developing new fearsome weapons against mutants. In the military complex in the heart of the nation the Genosha military had set up a very modern radar net. It usually dealt with smugglers, local pirates and the occasional escapee trying to get across to Africa or somewhere else.

However what they hadn't expected was something coming at them at mach 2. At first the radar didn't pick it up because of its smaller size but once it got closer their system was able to pick it up and that's when they started to issues orders. At first they figured it might be a missile as nothing that small could be a man made flight vehicle. The energy output it was putting off was about the same as a missile trail so the small navy they had was used to intercept it.

They responded with the anti-missile Vulcan canons on the ship that were designed to track and shoot down missiles with large scale armor piercing rounds. At first when the canon on the frigate that was closest to the object, they fired and it was confirmed a hit as the object seemed to dip down towards the water. Radar contact was lost but the crew on the frigate noticed that the object was went by them and it was actually skimming the water.

After that the military went into a panic as they frantically tried to identify and shoot down the intruder. But it was very small and with the speed it was moving it was very hard to find it let alone shoot it down.

The object of course was Nimrod as it made its way towards its goal. It knew exactly where to go and after the humans had opened fired it went to a safe distance from the surface. Its body was already repairing the damage caused by the human weapon. It saw the island and it could find many mutant signatures, a part of its primary programming wanted to go and terminate those and then the humans but it main goal overrode the other primary directives.

After it had accomplished its goal then it could start with termination of the local populace.

Nimrod made his way to the Sentinel area that his memory banks told him where to find. Although he one of his priorities was to kill, he had to subdue the humans as the greater priority demanded that he come off as not too much of a threat. Granted, invading a highly secure facility wasn't the best way of doing that but there was no other option to getting here. Nimrod needed to find the creators and to gain their trust, and then he could start with downloading new more advanced technology. The other thing for the plan was to input all future knowledge in the first Mastermold under construction, if the original Mastermold gained sentience earlier it would be able to take over humanity much sooner.

Nimrod made his way through the humans as their weapons were useless against him, it wasn't surprising. Humans of this island were used to fighting mutants although some of the weapons were more advanced they weren't up to the weapons made to take down sentinels. Any damage to his body was easily fixed as he walked on to the target area.

In the control room of the base Trask was barking out orders to stop the thing that was going into the heart of his complex. He couldn't believe that this machine (and it was all too apparent to him it was) was just going through his security like it was nothing. He had never seen anything like it before in his life and he couldn't figure out who had built it and why it was attacking him. Maybe it was sent by someone competing against his sentinel program? At any rate he had to find a way of destroying this thing before it got into the heart of the facility, then there would be no telling what kind of damage it would do.

"How very interest," Dr. Kruger muttered as the disabled old man looked on at the screen.

"I'm so happy that you find this entertaining," Trask muttered darkly.

"Oh but it is," he said grinning making him look like some kind of horrible death's head.

"You see that machine there is much more advanced than anything I've ever seen, and I have seen a lot," Kruger told the younger man as he studied it. "It seems to repair itself, which is remarkable. But haven't you also noticed something strange?"

"No I haven't," Trask snapped at the old man.

"Tell me," Kruger looked to a man at a work station, "how many fatalities have we endured?"

"Uh...so far none only injuries," the man said after checking.

"There you see, it obviously has another reason for being here other than doing us harm," Kruger grinned.

"It's attacking us!"

"Only defending but if you could get your head out of your ass you would have known that," Kruger nearly snarled at the man.

"So what do you suggest? We just lay down our arms?" Trask scoffed.

"That is the first good idea you've had in a long time," Kruger said.

Trask just looked at the man for a long silent moment, "Your insane."

"I have been called far worse than that in my life," Kruger told him as his modified carrier turned around and went to the door.

"Where do you think you're going!?"

He stopped for a moment at Trask's words, "I'm going out there to do what someone should have done a long time ago, I'm going to talk to it so I would like for you to call back the security forces for the time being."

With that the old man left the command center as Trask was wondering if he was just handed a blessing. If Kruger went out there and the robot killed him then it was good, if the robot tried anything he could have his forces open up and the old doctor would simply get caught in the crossfire. Either way it was a win-win for him. A man asked what his orders were and he decided he would see this played out.

"Tell them to stand down for now but be prepared, at the first sight of hostility they are to open up with full force regardless if Dr. Kruger is in the way." Trask ordered.

Nimrod was getting closer to the Mastermold main building yard when the soldiers had finally stopped. It would seem that they had gotten orders to stand down it was about time as Nimrod was starting to wonder how many more humans it would have to incapacitate before they gave up? Although when a security door opened it was actually surprised (as surprised as a machine can get) at who came through, it was a very old man in some kind of encased device that covered his lower body like some kind of wheelchair.

There was obviously a life support system helping to keep the man alive, after a quick scan of the man's face Nimrod had found one of his targets. Dr. Kruger was responsible for many new breakthroughs in Sentinel technology and development. Nimrod stopped all action not wanting to risk the chance of harming the old man or Nimrod could actually change the future for the worse with him dead.

Dr. Kruger moved his way forward with the controls on his device as he studied the machine in front of him. There didn't seem to be any seems or connects, almost like it was poured into a mold other than built, he had to admit that he was intrigued. He stopped a few feet away from it as he grinned up at it.

"So then you obviously came here for a reason, so why not tell me why?" Kruger asked it not afraid in the least. He knew that if it wanted to kill it would have done so many times over by now so he was confident that he was totally safe.

Nimrod had never been built with a voice module like other Sentinels as it was programmed only for killing and it wasn't like it was going to talk a person to death, so this posed a bit of a problem for communications. He looked down at the device the man used to get around and with all the controls he noticed a small computer pad was there with a small screen. He scanned it for a frequency and managed to access a wireless router that it was connected to. It took a few seconds to get past the encryption key but luckily Nimrod being one of the most advanced machines from his time was able to break it.

Kruger was surprised when he noticed something on the small screen on his right. He looked down and saw something was being typed on it.

**I am Nimrod**

It said and he looked up at the white machine, "Nimrod you say?"

**Yes**

"Why is it that you are here then?"

**To Help**

"To Help?"

**To Help**

"Yes you've said that already," Kruger told him. "To help with what specifically?"

**To give you more advanced knowledge and data. To help you in creating more advanced sentinels.**

"How do you know of the sentinels we have here?" Kruger asked a bit concerned now. This was the most carefully guarded secret on the nation, not even mutants were allowed near this facility in any manner and everyone was carefully screened. There shouldn't have been a leak as to what was going on here.

**Because I am a sentinel**

With those few words, Kruger was shocked as he looked over the machine very carefully. It didn't seem possible as there wasn't any type of sentinel that came close to this. Many possibilities went though his mind in seconds as he thought of countless ways to explain this. One was that someone else had gotten a hold of the sentinel tech and was creating his own but that didn't make sense for several reasons. One of them being that if someone could create models this advanced then they wouldn't need to help the Genoshian program.

As he eliminated the possibilities one by one there was one that he thought of that could explain this.

"Where do you come from...or should I say, when?" Kruger asked.

**The Future**

Kruger gave a small laughed that sounded more like a man dying than a real laugh, he looked to the camera to where he knew Trask was watching.

"Trask I suggest you come down here and meet Nimrod here," Kruger told him grinning at the camera. "You will want to hear this as I think you'll be just as interested as I am."

**Next up chapter22: The Assassination**

**Well the poll I made the majority said to stop making this series, although it wasn't by much the fact that over forty people voted for it to start only less than 10 actually bother to review. So because of that I'm ending this, and no it will not tidy things up, I'll have to end it hanging because it would take too much time and I don't have it in me to tie up all the loose ends with so many who can't be bothered to review. **


	22. The Assassination

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 22: The Assassination**

It was in the afternoon in the capital of Washington DC, there was a gathering going on as there was a public speech going to happen that day from Senator Kelly. It was said that it would be about several topics including the mutant issue as well.

It was all over the news as people and the reporters were coming out, everyone was wondering what Kelly was going to speak out about and when you add in the mutant topic; well things got a bit more heated. It was also at this point that key members of Xavier's students and of course Fury's people as well. Xavier had to tell Fury about this as something of this magnitude they had to call him in. Now the entire area had a mix of both Xavier's and Fury's teams.

Everyone that could fly was stationed on the top of buildings to overlook the area, and the others were mixed in among the crowd and on nearby buildings.

"This really sucks," Rogue muttered from her perch on a building. "Ah still can't believe we got ta do this while that jerk is most likely goin' ta bad mouth us more. Can't we just call it off, say terrorists plan to bomb it? It's close enough for the truth."

The woman next her gave a small laugh, she was tall, pale with a black circle over a part of her face with short hair, in a purple and black uniform stood Domino. Given her looks, she was put on one of the buildings to coordinate with the teams.

"True enough but then we might not get a chance at the assassin," Domino gave a look to where Rachel's position was. Although she found the whole time travel thing a bit far fetched she had to admit with the X-Men, weird things did happen.

"If that girl is right then this is the only chance to change the future at this point, but we got to do it right." Domino started to explain to the younger woman. "If it's called off then Kelly will just do it at another time but then Rachel's intel won't be any good anymore. She won't know when and where it will happen again so the best bet is to just catch the person in the act and then see who is pulling the strings."

Rogue had to admit it made sense, although she still didn't like it. Kelly had been a major jerk to them all in school and now he was even worse. She knew that the others felt the same but also what was at stake, at best they hoped to deal with this quietly but she doubted it. Nothing ever went according to plan and she just hoped that things didn't get too screwed up. The other thing was the mixed teams, they had most of the X-Men with a couple from X-Factor and the New Mutant teams to help out.

Jean couldn't make it as if she kept missing classes she could be kicked out of school, Rogue didn't want that for the red head. Sure they're relationship had been pretty bad but lately it had gotten better and even she had noticed how stressed Jean was lately. A few of the others were in the same boat too, Bobby was failing a math class and had to take it, a few others were the same. So they had to pick a few others to fill in the holes.

Rogue just hoped that this was over with soon, she was missing her English class and it was only just now they got to Edgar Alan Poe's works, which she had been waiting all semester for. All in all she wasn't happy and she was all too eager to take it out on the person that was the cause of them being here to begin with.

One another building top was Rachel, given her tattoos would have caused a lot of people to stare she was opted for being where she was now. Plus it also gave her a better position to keep her telekinetic shield up. Whoever it was that was going to shoot, she bet that they expected it to impact on an invisible barrier taking the bullet. Plus she could then tell where the bullet would come from as well.

Another reason was that she wasn't comfortable in that crowd, as a telepath it was hard to be around so many minds even with her level of control. But it was just so...'alien' to her to be around so many people outdoors. She still kept expecting to see Sentinels swooping down at them she just hoped that one day she would get over it.

There was one bright moment and that was Jean, ever since that night whatever wall was between them was coming down. She sensed that Jean was still a bit uneasy but she had started to come to accept her. Rachel couldn't remember ever feeling so happy in her life, she had her uncle, father and mother back in her life or at least as close as she could get.

She also could see the red headed girl next to her casting strange looks at her every now and then.

"Okay what is it?" Rachel asked frustrated.

"Oh sorry," Terry the Irish mutant known as Siryn said. "It's just kind of strange to meet someone that is from the future. I mean sure my life hasn't been normal I mean I'm on a SHIELD team made up of members from all over the world. This is just kind of surprising is all."

"Alright but don't bother asking me something from the future I never met you so I wouldn't know," Rachel was getting a little sick and tired of people asking her questions that she couldn't possibly know. She reached up for a small communicator. "This is position three all is quiet here."

Several replies were heard as one team made their report.

"This is position five, looks fine here," Simon Williams AKA Wonder Man said.

"Yeah if you call being surrounded by people who if they knew who was here would hate us just for being mutants," Wanda muttered. Both were dressed in civilian clothing as the ground teams needed to blend in. She was wearing her normal clothing but Simon had on his ever present shades to hide his glowing red eyes but also a hat and the jacket was pulled up around his face.

Since Simon was famous it wouldn't do to have someone notice him.

"Well look on the bright side then," he put his arm around her waist pulling them closer together. "We get some alone time before it all starts."

Despite the pleasant feeling she felt with his arm around her they had a job to do. And she did hate how they only could see each other now and then as well, one two different teams they could always be off doing something else. She still couldn't believe how this guy just picked her of all people, the goth girl with anger issues. But the fact was when he looked at her she felt like he was looking _at_ her, not the outside but for who she really was.

It was a little unsettling too that she was allowing something this close to her, after what her family had done trust wasn't exactly something that came easily to her. She held a bit of trust with the X-Men now and she was thankful for Xavier for everything but lately she was thinking of her future. Would she always be with the X-Men, or could she do something more with her life? Wanda wasn't sure she even had thought about joining SHIELD mainly because it would allow her to use her powers on a broader scale.

The fact that she would be with Simon was also something that made her think as well. But the mansion was the first real place that felt like a home to her as well. She felt at ease there and she actually had a few people she considered friends, she had a lot of good memories of living in the mansion as well. At any rate she didn't plan on doing anything until she got her education up to at least a high school student. If she was going to leave one day she would be sure she did so prepared and it would give her plenty of time to think on things.

"Hey Wanda what's going on?" Simon asked her seeing her space out.

"Sorry just thinking about something," she told him looking back at the crowd.

"Oh?" Simon grinned as he leaned down a bit and she shivered a bit when his hot breath hit her neck. "Can I guess what?"

"Not that!" She said giving him a slight elbow in the ribs. "Keep your mind on the job okay."

"Yeah sure thing," he said with a shrug looking a bit disappointed.

Wanda rolled her eyes, "After this if we got time...you want to go get something to eat?"

"Love to," he told her with a smile.

**-X-Jet-**

In the X-Jet in the back of the plane when everyone was long gone, a hatch covering a small supply space was kicked out. Gambit slowly crawled out of it as he stood up his back cracking as he straightened.

'_Damn that was way too long,'_ Gambit thought. He had planned to hide in the jet since there was no way that he was just going to sit back on this one. So he found a spot to hide out in before everyone left for the mission. Although it was very cramp in there as well, his arm and legs had gone numb during the flight. The other thing he had to worry about was having someone like Logan or X23 smell him out, which was why he passed by the kitchen on the way to the hanger.

Remy took off his coat and started to flap it hoping to get some of the smell out.

"Damn, dis stuff stinks and Remy is going to get a lot of people looking at him," Remy sighed. He had put vinegar all over himself to hide his scent. It was an old cheap trick used to confuse watch dogs but it would seem to work just as well on mutants with higher sense of smell. But now he had to go out and find whoever was going to set him up for an assassination.

As Remy left the jet he had to admit that if the whole future thing that he saw did happen he could only imagine the faces of his family back in the Thieves Guild of Remy being arrested for assassination, and then there was the Assassin's Guild they would most likely throw a fit for just being left out of a job like that since political jobs usually paid very well.

At any rate he had to get to where the assignation would take place and hurry.

Meanwhile a little time later a single person was walking through the crowds of people gathering. He moved through the people not pushing them out of the way just moving around them. He moved like a ghost among them not being noticed in the slightest as the man made his way to his destination. There was a building that was in front of him.

It was an apartment building the man used a key that he had been given to get through the door. The apartment had been set up in advance for this by other agents. There was an apartment that was empty where the key was for. Going to the elevator he traveled up to the 10th floor of the building. Checking the number on the key he walked into the hallway, he saw the door number but passed by it. Going to the end of the corridor he turned back and slowly scanned the area.

There was no sign of anyone looking at the apartment and no one was in the hallway. Waiting for thirty seconds he walked back down the hallway as he checked the door. There were no marks on the locks so no one had picked it as far as he could tell. Then he eased the key in there and opened up the door and quickly and silently got in hoping for no one to come out and see the new neighbour.

The inside was pretty sparse and there was only a chair there by a window. He checked the closet and found a case in there as he pulled it open not surprised by the weight of it. The man took the case to the window and opened it up there was a long range rifle with a scope in several pieces. Testing the weight of the pieces and checking them out individually as he carefully checked the weapon.

With patience he assembled the weapon and when it was fully put to together started with a dry firing exercise testing it out. It sounded good and responded well and there was only one part left. Putting on the scope he sat in the chair and looked out the window to the target bellow. He calculated the distance and angle of where he was and then also through experience figured out how high to correct the aim given how a bullet slowly dropped over distance.

Next he looked around and found a flag and watched it for a few minutes to check what the wind was like. A sudden change in wind could alter the path of the bullet at the last minute but the wind was basically steady. There was no real wind tunnel effect from the buildings around the area as cities had a tendency to create pathways in which the wind would travel in abnormal ways.

Thankfully it didn't seem to be the case here as now all he had to do was wait for Kelly to show up. Once the event started he planned on putting a bullet through the man's brain.

The time flew by and eventually Kelly showed up, the crowd cheered him as he waved and smiled like a good little politician. The man watched with red and black eyes as Kelly took the stand as everyone's attention was on the man. The crowd quieted down as he was going to start with his public speech today.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you know who I am and what my political stands are," Kelly began. "As we know our world has changed recently and not for the best. In these uncertain times where we have so many things to worry about we have a new one. Where extremist plot against our country we have to not only fear that but threats from within."

"You all know how I feel about the mutant issue and I firmly believe that all mutants should be registered under the law. We register all kinds of weapons and many of these people have the power to do anything as blowing up a building to controlling the minds of others. These people must be registered so that we know what they are capable of and who they are. We can't just sit back and let mutants run wild as we have seen in the past."

"They must be held accountable and that is one reason the new agency such as the Genetic Security Agency was created. But I recently learned that there are more than just mutants in the world."

It was these words that made the crowd the mutter in confusion, many had thought this would be another rally again mutants but this was a surprising twist to things. Many of the people below never knew of anything other than mutants in the world after all what else could a person be with powers like that?

"I recently learned that there are those out there that have powers that have nothing to do with mutation," Kelly started up again. If he had their attention before now he really had their attention, many remembered the time when mutants were first exposed and it seemed yet another bomb was being dropped.

With the X-Men many were uneasy about this, they knew a few people without mutant genes that had powers. Dr. Strange a man of magic like those under his care one of them being Johnny Blaze a man with a demon in him that turned him into the Ghost Rider. There was Spider-Man who had helped them a couple of times as well. Certain members of X-Force knew full well the kind of things that were out there as they had to deal with some of those issues in secret.

"Men and women who have been altered in accidents run free with powers beyond that of human," Kelly said. "Some were even created to be weapons to be used in war, some created to be used against us. When I found out about this I knew I had to tell the people to see that not only mutants but others had to tell the people so that more pressure could be used to push through the plans to register not only mutants but all these other dangerous people."

"We must be able to protect ourselves, we need more laws to deal with this sort of things. The police aren't equipped to handle this kind of thing, they deal with human criminals but how do you deal with those that can move at speeds faster than bullets, to those that can lift cars over their heads or impervious to normal weapons?"

"We are all greatly out matched and the only way is to keep ahead of them, how can we be safe with all of this around us and we don't even know who we can trust?"

Scott who was in the crowd didn't like any of this, life was hard enough but to bring out anyone with powers who were mutant or not would only cause trouble. Now he could see how the future where Rachel came from got so dark and how things like the sentinels were legalized. If Kelly was shot at this moment right now he would be a martyr to this cause. It would galvanize the world against any one that was unique and who knew what else it could lead to.

Although they had safe guards in place to prevent his death, Scott knew that this wouldn't be the end of things. This would be an issue that they would have to fight and not just the mutants but anyone in the world who had powers would soon be in trouble. They would have to show the world that they could be trusted but how they could do that he had no idea.

It was then that he thought he caught a glimpse of something familiar, as the speech went on Scott moved slightly through the crowd until he caught it again.

'_What the hell?'_ Scott thought in shock as he saw Gambit there in the crowd.

He kept an eye on him as he pulled a small communicator in his hand to his mouth. "Everyone I see Gambit here, he's in the crowd by the North end!"

"_What!? How the hell did he get here, I thought he was back at the mansion under house arrest,"_ Logan asked over the line.

"I don't know but I'm trying to follow him out, Rachel keep that shield up." Scott said as he tried to follow the mutant thief.

Meanwhile the man in the room got the rifle ready, the orders were to kill the man after a certain time frame and it was now that time. He lifted the rifle up and looked through the scope as he lined up the shot. The crosshairs over Kelly's head as he would need a kill shot for this, closing the shooting eye he looked for the flag to check the wind one last time. It looked stable but had increased a bit, so closing that eye and opening the shooting eye he adjusted for the new wind.

The man took careful breaths as he got a steady rhythm and then when he was ready he held his breath and squeezed the trigger as the riffle fired and the whole world below went into a panic.

**Next up Chapter 23: Assassin Revealed**

**So sorry it took me so long, things just kept getting in the way and had a little writer's block.**


	23. Assassin Revealed

**Future Girl**

**Chapter 23: Assassin Revealed**

When the sound of the riffle sounded out, all hell broke loose. People started to panic, and when some started to yell and scream it caused others to do the same. The panic in seconds not only went through the crowd but enhanced. The bullet however that was aimed at Kelly had been stopped by Rachel. She felt the solid object hit her invisible wall, it wasn't much to her. With her powers she could stop a runaway car, but she had been focused on anything that would hit it with a lot of force.

She knew where the bullet hit her shield but she wasn't sure of the direction. She quickly looked around to where it might have come from, she knew the basic direction but it had been so fast.

"_Rachel, can you tell where the shot came from?"_ a voice from her communicator called out.

"I don't know," Rachel said looking around. "I only felt something hit my shield hard, somewhere from the West I think."

"_Everyone, try to focus on the West."_

"_Ow! Damn it, this is Shatterstar we can't get anywhere in this crowd."_ The X-Force member said.

"_Yeah, Wanda and us are on the other side and there's no way to get across with everyone running all over the place." _Wonder Man said as Wanda cursing could be heard in the background.

Thankfully she had gained a lot more control in her time with Xavier, but she could only be pushed so far before she let loose with her powers.

Domino's voice came on the line at that moment, _"Okay listen up. Fliers try to stay hidden but get up in position. As soon as we get a fix I want all the fliers to get on that assassin as fast as you can. For those of you stuck in the ground, get out of the way if you can't get to the West end. Try to loop around if you can."_

"_Scott I want to know what you're status is, did you find Gambit again?"_

"_I think so,"_ Scott's struggled voice came over the line. _"I just saw him look up when the shot went off, I think we were close and he saw where the shot came from. Looks like a large brown apartment complex you see it?"_

"_Yeah I see it,"_ Domino said. _"Everyone let's focus on that area but Rachel keep that shield up and follow Kelly just in case."_

"Understood," Rachel sighed. She wanted to help but it looks like she was getting babysitter duty.

Meanwhile Gambit had been lucky enough to see where the shot had come from, apparently the assassin wanted the shot to be heard as they fired without a silencer. Most likely to make everyone panic making is easier to escape in the crowd. He saw the rifle being pulled out of the window and quickly tried to guess which room. He got the floor but it would be hard to figure out which room on that floor. But he ran anyway, he ran into the building and noticed the elevator thankfully there was only one working. He clicked the button hoping he would get it first, and thankfully he did.

As he entered into the elevator and the door closing he saw Scott burst in through the door.

"Gambit!" He called out.

"Sorry, but Remy can't stand being framed, if you can make it up to the fifth floor join us," Remy smirked as the door closed. He heard Scott curse outside the doors and smirked, it would take Scott some time to run up those floors and he would already have a head start.

The assassin however knew that things had gone very wrong, the shot had been perfect and yet something had stopped the bullet. There was time for another shot but there wasn't much point in that, so it was time to get the hell out of there. The gun was thrown onto the floor it wasn't needed anymore plus the fingerprints on it where what was needed. Eventually the weapon would be found, especially after an 'anonymous' tip to the police came in.

Although the target wasn't dead, maybe the end result could be still made.

Now it was time to get out, a quick trip down the elevator and then slip through the crowd like it was planned. The elevator was already moving by the time the assassin got to the doors.

Remy waited for the door to open when it did the last thing he expected was to see himself. He blinked for a second staring at someone that looked just like him with an equally surprised expression on the face of his doppelganger.

"Well Remy is more handsome than Remy thought," Gambit joked before getting a quick kick to his chest. The copy quickly reached in and pushed the emergency close button, making the doors close before he could get back up. He cursed as he knew there wasn't time, so one small explosion later and a pair of metal doors now littering the hallways, he jumped out looking for the assassin. He saw 'himself' running towards the stairs at the other end of the halls.

He ran after that person, kicked open the door and running up the stairs. He noticed another sound and looked down to see Scott not that far away below him. He was impressed the leader of the X-Men could get here that fast. Gambit just continued on with chasing the imposter up the stairs, he could hear Scott yelling something at him but he just ignored it. Whoever this person was, they were good. Gambit wasn't sure if it was mask or something more elaborate and the assassination plan was a fairly good one as well.

He heard a bang as the rooftop door must have been opened up, he had honestly lost track of how many floors he had been running up but he was glad it was ending. With his shoulder he forced open the emergency door and quickly looked around. He saw his prey and ran after them, he needed to get a bit closer in order to use his cards effectively.

He kept on running watching as the other person jumped a small gap onto another roof, so he followed suit and the case went on.

Scott was trying to keep up with Gambit, he had switched out his glasses to his visor at the moment while running feeling the need just in case he had to use his powers. He could hear that Gambit was chasing someone but couldn't see. He had yelled at Gambit to stop but the guy just wasn't listening, when he got to the roof he saw Gambit chasing the other guy. By now he was breathing hard, his chest ached as did his legs, even with all the training he did a person still had limits.

He started to force himself to run thought trying to catch up, then suddenly he felt a pair of arms around him and he wasn't on the ground anymore.

"Need a lift?" Rogue asked as she fly with him.

Scott grinned at the perfect timing. "Try to get ahead of them both."

"Not a problem," she said.

Rogue flew him just like how he wanted, taking to the air and getting ahead of the two of them. Scott aimed and took one shot just in front of the assassin as he was trying to get over a wall. The assassin fell back and it was then that Gambit jumped onto him and getting into a wrestling match with them. As the two landed they walked towards the two of them.

"Alright that's enough," Scott yelled out as both of them pulled away.

"What tha hell!?" Rogue said looking at not one but two Gambits.

"He's the assassin," one of them said.

"Oh lord not this old trick," the other Gambit said rolling his eyes.

"So...what do we do?" Rogue asked seeing both of them.

"Shoot us both it's the only way to be sure," One of the Gambit's said.

"Hey wait, he's just saying dat so dat you shoot me and not him," The other Gambit told him.

"Yeah I figured that," Scott said as he adjusted his visor and shot them both with a wide beam. The energy hit both men as sent them to the ground. He looked to see Rogue's shocked fact as she just couldn't believe he had actually done that. "What? It was the only way to be sure and I set it to a low level. They're only stunned not hurt."

Rogue sighed and then looked but her face quickly turned to shock and then rage. "You!"

Scott looked down suddenly and he saw one of the Gambits was changing form into a very familiar blue skinned woman. It was Mystique, this explained a lot of things now to Scott. Kelly making some anti-super human and mutant rally and her of all people taking a shot at him, this had Magneto's hand prints all over it. Gambit groaned as he started to come to at the moment and he looked up with a dirty look at Scott.

"Remy can't believe you did dat," Gambit glared at him. Then he looked to see Mystique was coming around as well. "Well dat explains a lot, Gambit knew he was no assassin and why people thought it was Remy."

Mystique slowly got up seeing that her disguise had been lost.

"Ah can't believe this! Have ya any idea what you've done here or would have happened?" Rogue yelled at her former adopted mother.

"I only do what I'm told Rogue," Mystique said to her. "Magneto wanted a message to be sent that mutants won't take this laying down. If he's going to rally the world against us then the world should know that we won't just sit back and let them take us."

Rogue just couldn't believe she was this blinded, "Ya got no idea what this would have done, it would have ruined things for us."

"You can't possibly know that."

"Actually we do," Scott said to her. "How did you think we knew that someone was planning on killing Kelly today?"

Mystique had to admit, now that she had some time to think about it she was wondering just how the X-Men knew. Let along how Gambit was here, last she heard he wasn't even close to this city. Was there a leak in Magneto's group? That would be nearly impossible as she could bet Magneto only let a few know about this and only what they needed to know. The man was paranoid about his plans and there was no way Xavier could have gotten the information out of his head either.

"Mystique," Scott began talking to her. "This would have galvanized the world against mutants; at the moment the world is unsure but if you made Kelly a martyr you have no idea the kinds of things that would have happened."

"Oh like things are good as they are," Mystique snapped back. "What about the Genetic Security Agency? A government sponsored program to hunt down and capture mutants, they may only get those that break the law but you don't know the man in charge. Sooner or later he will start rounding up all kinds of mutants with no reason other than they are mutants."

"Plus you have no idea what other programs are in the works as well."

"Yeah and you will prove all of them right," Scott said to her.

"Scott, come in what's going on?" A voice on his communicator said.

"We got the assassin, it's Mystique." Scott said and as soon as his eyes were off her the woman jumped at him.

Before anyone could react she turned into a large black panther making the impact of hitting the roof knock the wind out of him. Rogue tried to make a grab for the tail but she leaped off too quickly. Then the giant cat jumped off the building. Both Rogue and Gambit ran to the side of the building but it was too late, she was gone and with Mystique they wouldn't be able to find her. She could shape into anyone and she couldn't be scanned by a telepath. She could have even turned into a bird at this point and flew away.

Rogue gave a growl of frustration as she slammed her fist into the ledge, shattering the bricks.

**-Genosha-**

Dr. Kruger was in his personal lab working on the sentinel called Nimrod. It had taken time but he had managed to convince the machine that having a device to talk would make things so much easier. It wouldn't be hard for him to implant a device he would just have to make it compatible with the technology. That was something that got Dr. Kruger wondering, if this machine was a true sentinel it shouldn't have been so hard to convince it of anything.

So now he had the Nimrod's chest open as he worked on the advanced machine. It was laying on a low table as Dr. Kruger couldn't get out of his own motorized chair as it doubled as a life support system keeping him alive. There were times he hated his frail body and would love to be young again, there was still so much work to do that was going to be left unfinished.

He continued to work, marvelling at the advancements of the circuitry.

"Now then this shouldn't take too long," Kruger said talking to the machine. "You know many of these techniques look like my work. I can tell from the style but it's more refined, I do hope you can tell me just how long I have left in life. I'm sure with your help I can also make the most of it. Ah, now see here, this little device is nearly done."

He finished attaching the device and rolled back. "Now then I want you to access the device, you'll find a software package in the device."

Nimrod scanned the attachment and he found the software, although it wasn't sure if this was necessary it would make communications easier. He had a mission to do, Master Mold must be completed and must be advanced through the advancements of the future. The software was finally finished integrating with its own systems.

"Now then try to talk," Kruger said.

It took a moment but finally a robotic voice came out of Nimrod. "The device seems to be working at optimal efficiency."

"Good, now maybe we can talk a bit easier now. First thing I want to know is this, why did you lie to us?"

Nimrod paused for a second to process this, "I did no lie."

"Oh you did," Kruger grinned as he moved towards the robot. "And that's your second lie. You see I am no fool. If you came back in time on purpose you would have been carrying a message from someone in the future. This leads me to believe your being here is an accident. Another is that your behaviour is odd, if you were here to help you would have given as much information as you had."

"In the past few days you've only been giving us technical data but nothing of your future. This leads me to the conclusion that you're hiding it because we would not like what the future holds."

"Impressive," Nimrod said getting off the table. "The records of your intelligence does you justice, but you are only a mere human as you must be eliminated to complete my mission."

Nimrod didn't want the truth to come out, so he would have to dispose of the Doctor.

"Activate Program Alpha One," Kruger said as Nimrod froze in place. "I bet you're wondering what is going on? Well it's simple really, because I had you open your chest up I was able to jury rig a few surprises. Did you honestly think I would tell you my thoughts about you without any insurance?"

"You underestimated me and that was your fatal mistake. You see the software contained a Trojan data pack, as you assimilated it, it went through your systems to nest in your command functions. So far the only thing it does it freezes you but that's all I need."

Nimrod couldn't access any of his motor functions, it was odd as they were there but it no longer had access to them. Nimrod watched as the old German doctor went to a table and put a laptop onto the machine he used as transport.

"Now then, it will take time but I will get all your secrets from you and I'll also reprogram you. Oh I know you'll fight it but honestly I will look forward to it." Kruger smiled as he went to the frozen machine and plugged in the laptop into a data port in the exposed chest.

**-Two Days Later-**

Rachel just couldn't believe how things had gone, sure they stopped the assassination but the person got away as well. She sighed to herself, she kept on thinking that if only she had been there maybe she could have stopped her but she knew that staying where she had been to cover Kelly was the right idea. Well so far the man was alive and still making trouble, although he hadn't made any real public appearances for the time being.

But now at least the future had a chance, with this out of the way the future was now unfolding in a different path and she had no idea what that path was. She was also stuck in the past but she was learning to love it here. Jean and Scott were taking things slow but Rachel could tell they liked having her around, and she loved to be able to see and talk to them. Plus there was Alex as well and she was starting to make some friends among the others here. She no longer had to worry about Sentinel patrols and could actually lay out on the grass in the sun.

Things were so different but were so much better here, and she was planning on making sure that her future never happened.

"Rachel."

The young girl turned about to see her future mother Jean, she was so happy that Jean had started to accept her and she couldn't help but smile back at the older girl. "Yes?"

"Can you come to the infirmary, there's something we've wanted to talk to you about." Jean told her but there was a smile on her face. Rachel wasn't sure what was going on but she trusted Jean, so she went with her. When they got there, she was greeted by Hank McCoy and the blue haired girl named Gale who was an empathy and healer. Apparently there had been some talk about her markings on her face and they wanted to try something. If it worked, then they would finally be gone. Rachel was shocked, she had never thought about it before but honestly she hated the markings on her face.

Every time she looked into a mirror she only thought of what had happened to her. All the horrible memories came flooding back, to have a chance at not seeing them again well she jumped at it. Hank told that it would take a few moments to get ready.

Rachel was nervous thinking about this, her face finally free of the cursed markings of a Hunter. She couldn't wait.

"Rachel, there is one thing I was wondering you could do for me." Jean said and told her what she wanted Rachel to do.

"Y-You what?!" Rachel couldn't believe what she had heard. "You really want me to do that?"

Jean smiled at her, "Of course who better than you to do it? Plus I have this for you."

Rachel watched at Jean took a small parcel that had been sitting on a bed nearby, apparently Jean had placed it there earlier. When Rachel looked at what was in it she was confused at first until Jean explained it all to her. Rachel was so deeply touched she actually started to cry, but these were tears of joy.

"I...I would be honoured to do this for you," Rachel told her smiling.

In another part of the mansion Gambit was walking the halls he had gotten fairly chewed out by Logan for his stunt. Apparently the old man hadn't been too happy about that, still Gambit did what he thought was for the best. And it all turned out good enough, he wasn't being framed for a murder and in his books that was a good thing. But lately he had been thinking that there was a couple of things he needed to take care of and he was doing the first right now.

He had been avoiding Storm for obvious reasons but he felt he needed to make amends with Clarice. He had been looking for the girl and found her in the small greenhouse in the attic area of the mansion. He silently slipped in watching the light purple skinned girl humming as she watered some plants.

"You know you have a nice voice petit," Gambit said startling her.

"What are you doing here?" Blink said after she recovered giving him a small glare.

Gambit held up his hands, "Now hold up, Gambit is here to make up for when he was here."

Blink crossed her arms not sure to believe him or not, she had stupidly thought he might have been interested in her and he had used that against her. It had hurt and although she felt better now it still was a hurtful memory.

Gambit sighed as he took a seat, "Gambit knows that he can be a jerk at times but he also does things without thinking them through. So Remy had some time to think on things and he is sorry for what happened."

"You make me think someone would actually like me," Blink muttered sadly to herself.

"Well why not?" He asked. "You seem like a nice girl, and if you really want Remy to be honest, you are cute."

Blink looked at him in shock taking a step back, "No, don't start that again!"

Gambit stood up and gave her a small smile, "Petit, you are. To tell the truth if you were perhaps a few years older than Remy might have made a play for you himself. But as things stand you are a bit too young."

Blink cast her look on the floor not sure if she should believe him or not.

"Tell you what, in a couple of years if you are still single Remy will ask you out for a date," He grinned at her as she quickly looked up and blushed. She should be angry with him, she should hate him but the way he was looking at her made her feel warm in her stomach. She tried to push it away, she really wished he wasn't so good looking. Then she remembered the boy at school who looked at her in a similar way.

"I-I might have someone at school that likes me..." She said lamely.

Gambit only grinned, "Oh Remy likes some competition. Remy will give the boy a head start then, but better watch out petit at the rate you are looking when you grow up Remy can tell you'll grow up fine."

He left Blink more confused than ever now. She sat down feeling a little weak in the knees not sure if he was making up for things or if he was really serious.

Gambit walked the halls happy how that went, given what she could do, she could have sent a very important part of his body somewhere else. But he had been honest she was cute but still too young for him. Maybe he would look her up in a couple of years when she was legal. But at any rate that was one thing down and the next was to talk with Xavier.

He had seen the future that Rachel came from and he hadn't liked what he had seen. Sure he liked to have fun but that future looked like anything like fun. There were some dark times coming, he could feel it and maybe it was time to stop having so much fun and take some responsibility for once.

**-Danger Room-**

The X-Men were suited up and gathered for one another training session, everyone was waiting for Jean to show up as she was the only one not there. That was the odd thing was that Jean was never late for training. Then the massive door opened up but everyone was confused when Jean walked in with her normal clothing on.

"Hey what's the deal?" Bobby asked out loud.

"Everyone there's something I've been thinking about and I've come to a decision," Jean said as she had talked with Scott and Xavier about this. But it was still kind of hard, she was closing a chapter in her life a very big part of her life but she needed to do this.

"Things have been hard on me with school and this, and I learned that I can't do both. So, as of now I'm focusing on my schooling and I'll no longer be an active member of the X-Men."

"You mean you're leaving?" Kitty asked a little horrified at this. Jean was the one that had got her into the X-men, she had looked up to Jean when she first got here and she had grown a lot thanks to Jean's help. Having her leave was something was nearly unthinkable, she had thought that Jean and Scott would always be here.

"Not entirely," Jean told her. "I won't be an active member, more like a reserve member. If you really need me then I'll be there and I can still join in on the training sessions now and then as well."

"So...we're going to be a member down now?" Rogue asked.

Jean smiled at that, "No, I found us a replacement."

Jean looked at the door as it opened and everyone was surprised by what they saw. Out walked Rachel in a new uniform, it was green and yellow with a cropped shirt top and a skirt. But what everyone was looking at was her face; there were no markings on it at all. Rachel smiled looking and feeling great as she walked into the large room.

"Damn she looks a lot better," Bobby whispered to Kurt who nodded.

"Everyone," Jean said placing a hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Here's my replacement, I figure she would be perfect to take my place on the team."

"That's great," Kitty said as she quickly went to the taller girl and hugged her. "So where did you get the new uniform so fast?"

"It's actually Jean's," Rachel said blushing a bit.

"Oh yeah I remember that," Scott smiled. "When we first got here we have different uniforms, when Jean was Rachel's age she wore that but a few months changed it."

"Oh vhy vas that?" Kurt asked.

Scott and Jean blushed at the memory as Jean tried to explain. "Well it was just that, Scott made a comment once when I first started to fly that made me uncomfortable to wear a skirt."

Rogue was the first to groan as she remembered something similar happening to her when she first started to fly in her regular clothing. "He could see up your skirt huh?"

The huge blush on both of them was kind of funny, especially since everyone knew they were having sex now so it wasn't like both teens knew what the other naked, but it was still funny to watch them blush over it.

"So are you going to have a codename or something?" Kitty asked to change the subject.

Rachel looked to her future mother and nodded, Jean had told her that when she first started out she had used the name Marvel Girl, but over time decided to drop it with the new costume. Now Rachel felt that it was the perfect way to step into her mother's shoes.

"You can call me Marvel Girl, Kitty." Rachel said with a smile.

Up in the observation room Xavier and Logan watched the scene below, Xavier was smiling at the scenes while Logan tried to look indifferent to it all. Xavier knew that Logan didn't like to show emotion but he knew the man long enough to know a bit of what was going on inside of him, and that he approved of this as well.

"Well hopefully she'll be as good as Jean," Logan stated.

Xavier smirked at the statement. "I'm sure she'll do well. On another matter it would seem that Gambit has decided to stay."

Logan growled out, he didn't like the man and most likely would never like him. There was just something about him that would always rub him the wrong way. "He better stick with it this time then."

"I have a feeling he will," Xavier said as he watched the team getting ready. It was strange to see Rachel in that suit and using that name. For a moment it was like looking at a younger Jean, they had stopped what had started her future but it would remain to be seen if they had done enough. The future was now a mystery to them all, but they would keep an eye out for trouble.

The future would be shaped by these young men and women, of that Xavier was sure of and whatever the future would hold, his X-Men would be there to face it together. Not just as a team, but as a family as well.

**THE END**

**Well that's it for this, I know I left some things open ended but honestly there was just way too much stuff to finish it up. Plus I just don't have the fire to write this stuff anymore, maybe I need a break from it but I'm not sure I'll ever get back to the AGU series. Plus I was asked if others could continue the series in their own way I'm fine with it. Who knows maybe I'll get back to it but don't hold your breath so I ended this the best way I could. Plus I didn't feel like making two chapters so I put it all into just one giant chapter.**


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